Bloody Sunrise
by Novum-Semita
Summary: The first fanfiction in the Adventurous Romance Trilogy. When Princess Bubblegum starts work on a potion to help her vampiric friend what will this mean to her kingdom? Meanwhile Candy Citizens are being attacked in the dead of night. Could these two events be linked? Bubbline, PBxMarceline, minor FinnxFlame Princess
1. The Potion

Princess Bubblegum stood at her desk, hand poised over a row of jars. She hesitated for a moment, studying the labels on each one before picking up the one she was looking for. She scooped out a spoonful of the glowing blue powder and stirred it into the beaker she was working with. It fizzed and bubbled, sending up twists of blue vapour that smelt faintly of ozone.

Suddenly her vision was obscured and a voice whispered in her ear, "Guess who!" The steel spatula slipped from her grasp and hit the desk with a clatter.

"Marceline," the Princess cried in surprise, her hands going up to her eyes. She felt the rough fabric of the gloves against her palms as she pulled the Vampire Queen's hands from her eyes, "What are you doing here?"

"I was just passing," replied Marceline, picking up an apple that was sitting on the desk. She bit into it and drained it of all its colour before tossing the now grey apple into the bin.

"Hey, that was my morning snack," protested Princess Bubblegum, taking off her glasses and glaring at the vampire. To her annoyance Marceline began to laugh. "It's a little late for morning snacks, Bonnie," she explained, pointing to the clock. The hands read five past six. Princess Bubblegum's stomach rumbled in response to the lost hours.

"What were you working on anyway?" asked Marceline, floating upside down behind Princess Bubblegum, her arms behind her head.

"Just a little something," she replied evasively, setting the beaker on a Bunsen burner. She sat down on the stool, picking up a pencil and began making some notes.

"It must be one hell of a little something to keep you locked away for days on end," remarked Marceline. The Princess listened half-heartedly. She knew she hadn't been out of her castle for days but she had a good reason. She stopped, her pencil poised over the paper. The vampire's words had interrupted her chain of thought. She chewed at her pencil, trying to regather her thoughts. "None of us have seen you for ages. So what's the big deal?" continued Marceline, unfazed by the Princess' seemingly lack of interest.

"I'm just working on something rather special, something that will help...I hope," she said thoughtfully. Marceline waited but she didn't elaborate further and resumed chewing her pencil. She growled at the Princess' lack of proper explanation. PB looked around when she heard a sound like a gust of wind.

"Marce-," she began, thinking the vampire was taking out her annoyance on some object in the room, but the room was empty. She sighed, turning back to her work. She didn't notice the small bat hanging from one of the wooden beams that held up the high ceiling. Its beady blue eyes were fixed intently on the bubblegum princess. It dropped from the beam and opened its raggedy wings, gliding down until it was hovering near the princess' head. It scanned the writing on the page quickly before PB spun around. She hurriedly covered her notes with her hands, pouting at the bat that was rapidly shifting back to humanoid form.

"A potion to make vampires invulnerable to sunlight?" said Marceline incredulously, "Why?"

"It's not a potion. It's a chemical solution and I thought my motives were obvious," PB replied stiffly, "I wanted us to be able to spend more time together. Me, you, Finn, Jake and the rest."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Marceline, pointing to the beaker.

"Why wouldn't it be?" replied Princess Bubblegum, looking a little puzzled by her friend's reaction.

"I don't know," said Marceline, "I just...I've got a bad feeling, ok?"

"Marceline, it's all perfectly safe," reasoned Princess Bubblegum, "I haven't said a word to anyone about this experiment. Not even Peppermint Butler knows."

"Look, just...keep your wits about you," cautioned Marceline.

Beady red eyes regarded them from a dingy corner of the lab. A forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air and ears swivelled in their direction.

"Of course I will," retorted PB, "You shouldn't have been looking either anyway. It was supposed to be surprise."

"Don't get shirty with me, Bonnibel," snapped Marceline, "I'm just concerned for your safety."

"Alright, sorry Mar-Mar," replied Bonnibel, softer this time, "And I promise I'll be careful."

"Good, because it wasn't that long ago when we last had to save your bubble butt," teased Marceline, poking the back of PB's head. She cackled with laughter at the dense dark pink patches that appeared on her cheeks at these words. She looked out the window at the darkening sky.

"Well, I'd better go," she said, "I promised the boys I'd take them down to the Forest to run with the wolves." She was, of course, talking about Finn and Jake whom she was teaching about the night creatures. She described it as adding another string to their bow even though Finn was quick to point out he only fought using a sword.

"See you tomorrow, Bonnie," she said, swooping across the room to give PB a quick hug before darting out the window before she could so much as react.

Princess Bubblegum went over to the window and looked out at the rapidly fading speck that was Marceline. Something fluttered past her head. She turned to look but it was gone.

She returned to her desk and sat down, picking up the pencil. She sucked thoughtfully at the tip but for some reason she couldn't gather her thoughts together. The Vampire Queen's warnings must have unsettled her more than she had first thought. She put down the pencil and walked towards the door, pulling off her lab coat as she did so. She hung it on a peg by the door and turned off the light before exiting the room, locking the door behind her.

She made her way down the long winding corridors of her palace until she reached her bedroom. She changed into her pyjamas before slipping beneath the covers with a grateful sigh. 'The experiment can wait until morning,' she thought to herself as she drifted off to sleep.

The following evening saw her still working stubbornly on the solution. She had begun to make a little headway from what she could tell but she couldn't think of a way to test it. It would be far too risky to test it on Marceline. But then again she didn't know any other vampires and it was Marceline the solution was intended for.

"Hey Princess, you still working on your experiments?" came a voice behind her.

"Marceline, don't you ever knock?" replied PB in exasperation, "But I'm not sorry to see you though I hate to admit it."

"Is that so," grinned Marceline with mock affability, "And why's that?"

"Well, I think I'm making some headway here," said PB, gesturing to the notes on her desk, "But I need some way to test that theory."

"Whoa there, Bonnie," Marceline cut in, "You are _not_ testing your potions on me."

"Well, I was hardly going to do it directly, was I?" replied PB, folding her arms, "I just need a sample of your DNA. A swab from your mouth would do." Marceline considered this for a moment.

"Alright, what do you want me to do?" she asked at length.

"Great," replied PB, clapping her hands, "Just sit there," she continued, gesturing to a chair. She opened a cupboard and removed a test tube and a cotton bud. Marceline hovered just above the chair and watched as the princess approached her, carrying the instruments.

"Open wide," she instructed. Marceline did as she was told and opened her mouth, displaying a set of sharp teeth.

"Hareful ou on't hick ourself," she warned as the princess made to probe inside her mouth with the cotton swab.

"I'll be careful," replied PB. Something slithery and wet flicked against her wrist. "Marceline, what are you doing?" She withdrew the swab from Marceline's mouth and put it in the test tube.

"What? I like bubblegum," Marceline replied mischievously. Princess Bubblegum's cheeks flushed a deep crimson. "Marceline, that's so distasteful," she cried. Marceline sniggered. The princess cleared her throat. "Anyway, I think I have enough DNA now," she continued, "I'll put the sample in my thermocycler and heat it to 98°C for 25 seconds to denature the DNA, and then I'll lower the temperature to 65°C for-."

"Bonnie, this is all Greek to me," interjected Marceline, leaning back in midair and crossing her legs, putting her arms behind her head.

"Greek? What's Greek?" asked Princess Bubblegum.

"It was a place before the Great Mushroom War," replied Marceline. She often forgot how little PB knew about before a huge chunk had been blown out of Earth in a catastrophic explosion, "The saying means I don't understand."

"Oh," she exclaimed, "I see. Anyway, basically I'll be able to make more of your DNA, enough to test my solution on."

"You're sure you know what you're doing?" asked Marceline, "I mean, keeping it under wraps and stuff?"

"Absolutely, Marceline," replied Princess Bubblegum, "I'm taking the greatest care. No one goes in or out of my lab without my say so, except for you of course. I can't exactly predict your sporadic visits at the best of times."

Satisfied with her answer Marceline smiled. "Why don't you take a break for a bit though?" she asked, "We could go back to my place and watch a movie." Princess Bubblegum looked at the half full beaker of grey liquid that was bubbling gently on the desk.

"Come on, you've been working solidly on this forever," coaxed Marceline, "A break would do you the world of good." Princess Bubblegum smiled.

"Maybe you're right," she conceded, taking off her lab coat and placing it on the peg.

"Is that a yes then?" grinned Marceline, holding her hands out to her. Princess Bubblegum nodded. The next second she gave a startled shriek as she was scooped up in Marceline's arms and flown out of the open window. She grasped tightly at Marceline's shirt, giving a frightened squeak when she saw how far below them the ground was. They sped along, the wind whipping back their hair and whistling in their ears. Marceline chuckled at the Princess' obvious distress.

"Relax, Bonnie," she laughed, "I'm not going to drop you." Princess Bubblegum buried her face in the Vampire Queen's shoulder in response. Her stomach did a somersault as they dove down lower. Marceline held her tighter, trying to reassure her that they were safe.

The Princess didn't open her eyes until she felt solid ground beneath them once more. Marceline put her down and she followed her into the cave where she had made her home. The house looked like any other house and the only thing unusual about it was its location. It had pink wooden walls and a brown tiled roof. A white picket fence surrounded the garden and here and there, beige coloured toadstools grew in the low lighting.

Marceline opened the door and led the way in. She lit a few candles that stood on either side of the sofa. "What do you want to watch?" asked Marceline, pulling out a drawer full of old tapes. Many of the cases were old and faded but the writing on most could still be discerned. PB knelt next to Marceline and cast her eye over the rows of video tapes. She picked one up and blew the dust off it. She coughed as some dust caught in her throat. "Geez, Marcy, when was the last time you watched this one?" she asked. Marceline took the tape off her and studied the cover.

"Hmm...I don't think I've ever watched this one," she replied, "I don't even know what it's about. Do you want to find out?" PB shrugged her shoulders.

"Alright," she said, curious about what the old tape contained. Marceline put it in the old VCR and pressed the play button. She settled down on the ground, hovering a couple of inches above the carpet. PB sat next to her, watching the screen as the film started. It showed a girl, presumably a human, moving to a new town and finding herself in a new school with some very strange company.

About a quarter of the way through the film Marceline made a noise of disgust. "Is that seriously how vampires were represented back then?" she scoffed.

"Those are...vampires?" said Princess Bubblegum in disbelief.

"Not true vampires," replied Marceline, "For one thing we don't sparkle and my eyes are still red. It has nothing to do with what I eat. That's just the way I am." Princess Bubblegum looked up into Marceline's eyes and saw that she was right. Her eyes were a deep crimson and glittered like rubies in the dancing candlelight.

A while later Marceline switched off the TV. "Sorry Bonnibel," she said, "I just can't stand another moment."

"That's alright," replied Princess Bubblegum. She leaned back, resting her back against Marceline's hip. She yawned.

"You getting tired?" asked Marceline. Princess Bubblegum shook her head before yawning again. Marceline chuckled again. She knew before long the bubblegum girl would be fast asleep.

As she predicted, barely fifteen minutes later, PB was curled up against her, breathing softly and evenly, one hand curled in Marceline's shirt. Marceline grinned, picking up the smaller monarch and gliding with her up the ladder to her room. She set her down on the bed and pulled off her boots. She pulled the sheets up around her. "Goodnight, Bonnie," she murmured, kneeling down and placing a light kiss on Princess Bubblegum's pink brow. Marceline yawned and stretched before gliding over to her closet to get a pair of pyjamas. 'Those vampires on the film might not need sleep, but I do,' she thought to herself as she shimmied out of her jeans. She put on her pyjamas before crossing the room to where Bonnibel was sleeping. She floated above the mattress, resting her head on her hands as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Marceline opened her eyes sleepily. The first thing she noticed was that she was lying on the mattress which was unusual for her. The second thing she noticed was the reason for this. A pink arm was wrapped around her middle and she felt soft breathing against the nape of her neck. She rolled onto her back and Princess Bubblegum snuggled closer, her head resting in the crook of Marceline's neck. The scent of her hair filled her nose. It smelt of...bubblegum unsurprisingly. She smiled to herself, thinking how gentle the Princess looked. Not like her sometimes hot-headed self during the day.

Princess Bubblegum opened one emerald eye and smiled. She yawned. "Morning Mar-Mar," she murmured sleepily. Marceline felt mildly surprised by the Princess' lack of embarrassment. She didn't have to wait long. Princess Bubblegum made to move her arms to stretch and hesitated when she discovered one arm wrapped around Marceline's waist. She sat up quickly, withdrawing her arm.

"Sorry Marcy," she apologised quickly, blushing furiously. Marceline was blushing slightly too, which surprised the pink monarch as she didn't know the Vampire Queen still had the ability to blush. "That's alright, Bonnie," replied Marceline, 'I wasn't exactly complaining,' she added in her thoughts.

"I guess I'd better be getting home," said Princess Bubblegum as she sat on the edge of the bed to pull her boots on, "Thanks for letting me stay, Marcy."

"Anytime," smiled Marceline.


	2. The First Attack

It had been several days since she had spent the night at Marceline's and she was pleased with the progress the solution was making. The first attempt had been a complete failure with the cells turning to goo the moment even the faintest rays of sun touched them. The second had got as far as the intensity of twilight before it too turned to goo and the third had been still more promising. She could only conclude that either a higher proportion of anti-photons or moonflower dew would further improve her results. The moment of success would be when the cells showed no effect when exposed to direct sunlight.

Marceline had become an almost nightly visitor since their sleepover and soon she hoped she'd be able to see even more of her. Often she would let her mind wander onto various possibilities as she worked, perhaps a picnic on the open grasslands near the Treefort or a walk down by the riverside. Princess Bubblegum knew how much Marceline loved the wilderness but unfortunately her duties at the palace often forbade her from journeying beyond the palace walls after dark, with the exception of their sleepovers of course. But that was a different matter entirely with nothing much akin to danger and adventure other than the high flight to Marceline's cave home.

It was during one of Marceline's night-time visits that it happened. Princess Bubblegum was making more notes on the solution's progression. The only intensity of sunlight the cells could not withstand was the intensity experienced within the hottest hours between 11am and 1pm.

Marceline was playing her axe-bass, providing the busy princess with some background noise which she found helped her work better. Princess Bubblegum put down her pencil and took off her glasses. A smile spread across her face as she double checked her results. Success was so near to being realised. Marceline noticed her cheerful grin and responded with a grin of her own. "Making progress?" she asked.  
At last the usually stoic and silent princess could contain her excitement no longer. She got up and bounded across the room to Marceline, putting her arms around her neck and spinning her around. "Better than progress, Mar-Mar," she grinned, "We're almost there!" Marceline smiled, returning the embrace. As the experiment had progressed, despite herself, she too was becoming increasingly hopeful of the results. Spending the day out in the sun without hat or parasol would make the world of difference and finally she could show the bubblegum princess the secrets of the wilderness.

Their celebrations were cut short, however, by a scream that echoed up from the eastern side of the kingdom. "What was that?" asked Bonnibel, mid twirl. Marceline frowned.

"I don't know," she said. She let go of the princess and darted over to the window, looking out. Her keen eyes picked up on a commotion near the market place. She put one foot up on the windowsill, ready to take flight.

"Marceline, what are you-?" began the Princess.

"Stay here, Bonnie," Marceline said firmly. With that she leapt out of the window and flew down over the streets. Ahead of her someone was yelling for help, their voice strained by pain and anguish. As Marceline neared the market place she was greeted by a terrible sight. A candy person was lying prone on the ground. He was a coconut cream by the looks of him, or to be more accurate, what was left of him. His body was torn open and sugar leaked from the deep wounds left by his attacker. The attacker, however, was nowhere in sight. Marceline hurried back to the Castle, fearing the attacker might have gone there. When she returned however everything was just how she'd left it. She flew in through the window and closed it behind her.

"You'd better call out your banana guards," she said to Princess Bubblegum, "One of your citizens was attacked in the market place. I couldn't see any sign of his attacker but-."

"Is he alright?" interrupted Princess Bubblegum. Marceline shook her head.

"He was dead by the time I got there," she replied. Princess Bubblegum sat down on the stool.

"Do you have any idea what attacked him?" she asked.

"It could have been a why wolf," replied Marceline, "There were deep gashes and puncture wounds. It will hopefully be a one off attack. Why wolves don't generally come into urban areas. Even so, you should think about taking some precautions."

"I'll dispatch some guards immediately," said Princess Bubblegum as she made her way to the door. Marceline followed her back to her room where she pulled the bell-pull. A few moments later footsteps were heard on the landing outside the door. The door opened and Peppermint butler came in, carrying a napkin over his arm and holding a tray of crystal glasses. He blanched at the sight of the vampire but quickly covered this up. "You rang, milady?"

"Yes, Peppermint Butler, I need you to dispatch the Banana Guards to patrol the streets. A citizen has been violently attacked," explained Princess Bubblegum. She crossed the room to the window where she stood, looking pensively out at the kingdom.

"Yes, milady, right away," said Peppermint Butler as he hurried out of the room.

"Are you going to be alright?" asked Marceline after he left.

"I'll be fine, Marcy," Princess Bubblegum reassured her, "You just be careful when you're going home." Marceline's lips curved up in a smile, exposing her fangs.

"Princess, I don't have anything to worry about," she replied confidently, "Last time I checked why wolves don't carry garlic or wooden stakes. I'll be fine."

Princess Bubblegum continued to stand at the window. The attack unnerved her and set her mind racing. Above all she cared for her citizens and to have one murdered in cold sugar in the dead of night made her worried and fretful. She felt arms wrap around her from behind and a cool chin on her shoulder, cascades of midnight hair drifting down her arm.

"Come on, Bonnie, your guards can take care of this and you need to sleep," said Marceline matter-of-factly, "Tomorrow we'll contact Finn and Jake and see what they have to say." Princess Bubblegum nodded and Marceline waited while she changed into her night things. She noted with a smile that, just as Princess Bubblegum once said, she was wearing the Vampire Queen's old rock shirt as a pyjama top.

"Goodnight Princess," said Marceline as Princess Bubblegum got into bed.

"Goodnight Marcy," replied Princess Bubblegum.

"And try not to worry," continued Marceline, "Finn and Jake are bound to have some ideas." Princess Bubblegum nodded again. It was easier said than done though. Marceline glided out through the doors to the balcony, closing them behind her for once and flew up into the cool autumn sky.

* * *

But she didn't see Marceline the next day. Or the next. In fact it was a few days before Princess Bubblegum saw Marceline again. She appeared as the last rays of the setting sun were turning the sky a rosy pink.

"Marceline, where have you been?" cried the Princess, "I've been worried sick. I-."

"Geez, Bonnie, not so loud," mumbled Marceline, rubbing a hand over her face.

"Marceline, what's happened?" asked the Princess, her tone changing quickly from worried annoyance to concern, "You look terrible."

"Yeah, I do, don't I?" chuckled Marceline. Her hair was tangled and twigs and leaves stuck out from the black tresses. She had dark grey circles under her eyes and she could barely keep them open."

"When did you last sleep?" asked Princess Bubblegum concernedly.

"Not since the day after I last saw you," replied Marceline, "There's been a major disturbance in the wood. Something's stirring but I can't begin to say what."

"What do you mean?" asked PB.

"Something's moving around in the shadows," explained Marceline, "The wolves are growing agitated." Princess Bubblegum frowned. This was an area she didn't really understand but it was clear something was up.

"You relax," she said, "And I'll run you a hot bath."

"Thanks, Bonnie," replied Marceline, sinking gratefully into an armchair, not floating for once. Princess Bubblegum went into the bathroom where she turned on the metal taps. Soon the air in the room became heavy with steam and the scent of bath oils. She took down some fluffy crimson towels from the airing cupboard and left one on the floor next to the bath.

"Okay, ready," she called into the other room. Marceline floated in and closed the door behind her. She made no remark on the overpowering flowery scent emanating from the bath as she began undressing. She slipped into the bath, submerging herself in the soapy water. The water smelt nice and it reminded the Vampire Queen of Bonnibel herself, the scent of her skin and hair. It soothed her aching muscles and quieted her racing mind.

Bonnibel sat down next to Marceline's head where she took up the brush and began teasing out the tangles and removing the bits of detritus. Her hair flooded across her lap in a seemingly endless cascade. "You've got lovely hair, Marceline, when it hasn't got half the forest in it," she teased as she began washing her hair, kneading in the shampoo. Marceline chuckled, the soothing motions of the Princess' hands nearly sending her to sleep.

Once her hair was washed and the last of her worries sucked down the drain along with the bathwater Marceline got out of the bath and wrapped the towel around herself. The other towel was wrapped around her head. Princess Bubblegum turned away for a moment to gather up the Vampire Queen's clothes. When she turned back she found that the towel covering her body had become a dark shade of grey. "Marceline!" she cried in exasperation, "Those were my best towels."

"I was hungry," protested Marceline.

"I could have got you some proper food," sighed Princess Bubblegum, looking at the monochrome fabric, "Did you get enough to eat?" she asked pointedly.

"Yes, thanks," grinned the vampire, showing her pointed teeth to the princess.

"Well, I suppose we'd better get you off to bed," sighed the Princess, shaking her head and smiling at her friend, pushing the incident of the grey towel to the back of her mind. She lent Marceline some pyjamas which she put on.

"Now, don't go quenching your thirst on these," she cautioned, giving the vampire a warning look.

"Alright, Princess, I won't," replied Marceline as she got into bed. She was asleep almost before her head hit the pillow. Princess Bubblegum looked at her, amusement dancing in her eyes. All her antics, her behaviour, her lifestyle, she was certainly what could be described as a wild child, a wanderer. She leaned forwards and pulled the covers up around her shoulders.

"Goodnight, my wild one," she said fondly, resting one hand on Marceline's soft black hair. It smelt firstly of the bath oils but beneath the heady scent was the vampire's own scent. She smelt of the morning dew, the fresh scent of leaves and of rain. She looked so peaceful, nestled in amongst the sheets. For a moment she felt a pang of fear when she noticed her chest was still, without breath or beat, but then she remembered, 'Of course, she's a vampire.'

She snuggled down beneath the sheets and switched off the bedside lamp, nestling down into her pillow. Before long she fell asleep, one hand resting lightly on the Vampire Queen's arm.

* * *

They were awoken the following morning by footsteps hurrying along the landing, Three, maybe four sets of them. Princess Bubblegum stifled a yawn. "Uhh, what's going on?" she muttered, running a hand over her face.

"I dunno," replied Marceline, sounding equally sleepy. She ran her fingers through her hair. A voice sounded outside the door, "Hey Princess, we came as soon as we could."

"It's Finn," squeaked the Princess, pulling the covers up around her chest despite the fact she was wearing a nightdress. Marceline dove beneath the covers as the door burst open and Finn and Jake entered the room, closely followed by a disgruntled-looking Peppermint Butler.

"Hello Finn, Jake," the princess greeted them, "Umm...please excuse my less than formal attire."

"O-oh," said Finn, blushing bright red.

"So, what seems to be the problem, Princess?" asked Jake, flopping down at the foot of the bed. He leapt up in surprise when the bed yelped in pain. Marceline emerged from beneath the covers. "Marceline, what are you doing here?" asked Finn, puzzled.

"Sleepover," Princess Bubblegum explained.

"Yeah, we were having a sleepover," Marceline added quickly.

"Anyway," continued Princess Bubblegum, "The problem you mentioned, Jake. A candy person was attacked and killed in the market place some nights ago. We think it was a why wolf attack but we can't be absolutely certain."

"A why wolf?" said Finn, "In an urban area? That's pretty unusual."

"Exactly," agreed Marceline, "It looked like a savage attack though, whatever did it."

"I've sent banana guards to patrol the city after dark," continued the princess, "So far we've had no word of further attacks but we're keeping our guard up."

"And what do you want us to do?" asked Finn.

"What I want you to do is to see if you can find out who or what is behind these attacks," replied Princess Bubblegum, "Do a little detective work."

"Well, you know you can count on us, Princess," said Finn confidently, puffing out his chest, "Right Jake?"

"Absolutely," added Jake, "A killer that savage won't bother to try and stay hidden. This will be a piece of cake."

"Just be careful, you guys," warned Marceline, "There's been a disturbance in the forest recently. The wolves are growing agitated. I don't think I need to tell you what that means."

"Aren't we always careful?" laughed Finn.

"No," Marceline replied bluntly.

"Well, we promise we will be this time," said Finn, making a crossing motion over his chest, "Cross our hearts." With that they bade the two monarchs farewell.

"I guess I should be going too," said Marceline as she changed back into her day clothes and put on her hat and gloves, "Thanks for letting me stay. I'll be back tonight."

"No problem," smiled Princess Bubblegum, "Just try not to let yourself get in that state again." Marceline laughed. "I can't make any promises there, angel cakes," she smirked. One hand caressed the side of Princess Bubblegum's face. She nipped her chin gently. Her smirk softened into a smile, "But I'll try."

With that she flew out through the balcony doors, disappearing over the horizon. Princess Bubblegum watched her go, blushing a deep shade of crimson.


	3. Finding the Killer

"Princess, Princess!" gasped Peppermint Butler as he hurried up the grand staircase to where Princess Bubblegum was standing, a look of surprise on her face.

"Peppermint, what's the matter?" she asked as the peppermint candy reached her, slightly out of breath.

"There's been another...another attack," he gasped, "On the North side this time, near the Rock Candy Foundry."

"Who was it?" asked Princess Bubblegum, her eyes widening in shock.

"I'm afraid it's they, a group killing," replied Peppermint Butler sadly," Three jelly beans. Their bodies were discovered a little before dawn."

"Did Finn and Jake see anything?" she asked. Peppermint Butler shook his head.

"No, they were on the other side of the kingdom when it happened," he replied, "But we do have a witness. He says he saw someone flee the scene."

"Have Officer Butterscotch bring him in," she instructed.

"Yes, your Highness," said Peppermint Butler before hurrying away.

Officer Butterscotch was, as his name suggested, a butterscotch candy with golden yellow skin and a dark brown moustache. He wore a squat cylindrical hat, a black shirt with his jacket tied across his shoulders like a cape, blue trousers and knee high black boots. He didn't speak very good English and tended to get his words mixed up at times, making understanding him a bit difficult. All in all he was well meaning and ran things by the book.

The main doors opened and Officer Butterscotch walked in, escorted by two banana guards and leading a nervous looking marshmallow towards the Princess.

"Good moaning, Princess," he said. His voice had a nasal sound to it and he bowed to the princess.

"Good morning, Officer Butterscotch," replied Princess Bubblegum.

"I have here the witness to the cooling," said Officer Butterscotch, "He was just pissing by the fondue when he heard the screens." It took a moment for the princess to decipher what he was saying, that he was the witness of the killing and he had been passing the foundry when he heard the screams. Once she had deciphered this she nodded and turned to the quivering marshmallow.

"It's alright, you're safe here," she assured, "Now, I'd like you to tell me exactly what you saw." The marshmallow nodded, taking a deep breath before beginning.

"I was g-going down to the grocery store, the wife's p-pregnant you see and she sent me out to get some food that she desired above all else," he stammered, "And I was p-passing by the foundry when I heard a scream. I didn't actually see them murdered but I saw something fly away over the buildings."

"Fly?" said Princess Bubblegum in surprise, "Are you sure?"

"Yes princess, it had massive wings and, oh, it put the fear of Glob in me," shuddered the marshmallow.

"Is there anything else you can tell me about it?" pressed Princess Bubblegum.

"Only that it was huge," replied the marshmallow, still visibly shaking.

"Very well, thank you for coming forward," said Princess Bubblegum. Officer Butterscotch took his leave and led away the marshmallow.

* * *

That evening Princess Bubblegum called a meeting amongst herself, Lady Rainicorn, Finn, Jake and Marceline. They filed into the room that was normally reserved for royal conferences where they each took a seat in a circle in the centre of the room.

"So, that scrambles are why wolf theory," said Princess Bubblegum after she relayed to them what had gone on that morning.

"그리폰 어떨까요?" asked Lady Rainicorn.

"Unlikely," replied Princess Bubblegum, "Gryphons usually live in mountainous areas. It's unlikely they'd come down here."

"A knucker?" suggested Finn.

"Knuckers wings are purely for decoration," explained Marceline, "They can't actually fly. But you could be onto something there."

"So, you're thinking a species of dragon?" asked Jake.

"Maybe," replied Marceline, "The only thing that makes me doubt that is how co-ordinated the attacks were."

"Co-ordinated?" cried Jake, "Co-ordinated! You call ripped to shreds and virtually destroyed co-ordinated?"

"That's not what I mean," replied Marceline, "Have you ever seen a dragon on the rampage?" Jake shook his head. "When a dragon rampages, buildings get flattened, towers get knocked down and the casualties are not one, not three, but hundreds." Jake fell silent.

"Princess, was that witness of yours able to give any other information?" continued Marceline.

"Only that it was huge with large wings," said Princess Bubblegum, "It's not much to go on, is it?"

"Admittedly no," sighed Marceline, "But we at least know how the killer gets to and from the kingdom. And that's something at least."

"So, all we can do really is ask the Banana Guards to keep their eyes on the skies," said Finn.

"Are they trained to use catapults and crossbows and the like?" asked Jake.

"Yes, that was part of their training," replied Princess Bubblegum, "I'll have them retrieve the weapons from the armoury."

"Could these still be random attacks?" asked Jake.

"I'm not sure," replied Princess Bubblegum, "I'd like to believe they are. I suppose looking at our victims and trying to make a connection between the two incidents is as good a place to start as any."

"Right, so our first victim was Vinnie, the coconut cream," said Marceline, putting on a pair of sunglasses and trying to look like a secret agent.

"Marceline, can you at least try to be serious?" snapped Princess Bubblegum.

"Sheesh, still giving you the info, aren't I?" replied Marceline, "Anyway, he was the local baker and from what I can tell he kept to himself a lot."

"And the next incident was a group killing," continued Finn, "Three jellybeans, three brothers. They were a travelling band, they didn't even come from the kingdom." Princess Bubblegum frowned. "But there has to be a connection, a motive, something," she protested.

"Not if these _are_ random attacks," Jake pointed out, "We could be dealing with a rogue monster who has a sweet tooth.

"If that's the case then no citizen is safe," surmised Marceline, "And who's to say the victims will remain limited to candy people?"

"So, you're saying other kingdoms could be affected?" questioned Princess Bubblegum.

"Exactly," replied Marceline, "Someone else might have seen our killer. We'd better contact the neighbouring kingdoms, see if any activity has been reported there."

"Well, the nearest kingdoms are the Ice Kingdom and the Fire Kingdom," reasoned Princess Bubblegum, "Finn, if you and Jake go to the Fire Kingdom me and Marceline will go to the Ice Kingdom."

"Is that really such a good idea, Princess?" asked Finn.

"Of course," replied Princess Bubblegum, "I can handle Ice King. Besides, I'll be perfectly safe with Marceline." This last sentence took Marceline by surprise. She had no idea the princess trusted her that much. The thought brought a smile to her face.

"What do you say we set out tonight?" asked Princess Bubblegum of Marceline, "It'll make travelling easier for you."

"Sounds fair to me," replied Marceline, "Do you want me to fly you there or-?"

"Surely that's too far," said PB in disbelief. Marceline laughed, shaking her head.

"Of course not, I've flown way further than that," she replied confidently.

"Alright then, so long as you're happy enough," smiled Princess Bubblegum.

* * *

That night saw the moon rise full and bright, illuminating the landscape. Princess Bubblegum was dressed in a bright pink coat with a fur-trimmed hood, a pair of purple trousers and maroon boots. Marceline wore her usual clothes, insisting that vampires didn't feel the cold but nonetheless Princess Bubblegum had at least coaxed her into wearing a scarf. She allowed herself to wear it more to please the young woman than for any actual need.

This time Princess Bubblegum rode on Marceline's back, arms firmly looped around the vampire's neck. She still felt slightly nervous but this time she also felt a little giddy with excitement at the prospect of flying with the Vampire Queen. Marceline held her gently, but also in such a way that she felt safe as they leapt off the balcony and began flying towards the castle walls. Princess Bubblegum looked down at her kingdom which was rapidly dropping away behind them, obscured by the fog that was rolling in from the mountains. Ahead of them the icy peaks of the Ice Kingdom loomed into view, snow covering the highest peaks. The tallest mountain of all housed the Ice King's lair and stood in the very centre of the kingdom. Princess Bubblegum shivered as the temperature began to drop. She nestled close to Marceline, burying her face in her hair.

"We're almost there," Marceline reassured her.

They touched down on the icy peak, on a ledge just in front of the entrance. Inside the kingdom was dark, consisting of a solitary winding passage. Princess Bubblegum drew her coat tighter about her before setting foot in the Icy cave.

She couldn't deny she felt ill at ease, being in the lair of the one who always tried to kidnap and marry her. She couldn't understand the old man's motives at all.

Marceline noticed the princess' unease and reached out, taking her hand. Princess Bubblegum looked at her in surprise but Marceline was looking the other way.

They reached the main room that housed a bed, gym equipment, a drum kit and a cage. Princess Bubblegum shuddered at the sight of the cave where she had spent many lonely hours before being rescued. Marceline noticed and gave her fingers a reassuring squeeze.

"Ice King, are you here?" called Princess Bubblegum.

"Princess, you've finally decided to accept my proposal of marriage?" came a voice from an adjoining room. "No, we-," began Princess Bubblegum.

"Then go away, can't you see I'm busy here," came the disgruntled reply.

"Simon, we need your help," said Marceline. A few moments later the Ice King emerges. He looks confused, like he can almost remember but not quite.

"You need my help?" he asked, echoing Marceline's words.

"Yes, that is, we need to ask you something," said Princess Bubblegum.

"What?" replied the Ice King, now looking more puzzled than ever.

"Have you seen anything unusual here lately?" asked Princess Bubblegum.

"I see unusual things every day," replied the Ice King, "Wizard eyes."

"We mean something in particular," pressed Marceline, "A huge creature with a large pair of wings." The Ice King thought for a moment.

"No, I haven't seen anything like that," he said at length, "Why, are you trying to find one to keep as a pet?"

"No, a creature with that description has been attacking candy people in my kingdom," explained Princess Bubblegum.

"I wish I could help but I'm afraid I got nothin'," said the Ice King.

"That's alright," said Marceline, "Thanks all the same." They made to walk back along the dimly lit passageway.

"Look," the Ice King called after them, "If it gives you any more trouble, let me know."

"Thanks, we will," Marceline called back over her shoulder.

They reached the cave entrance and Marceline helped PB up onto her back.

"Let's hope Finn and Jake will have more luck than we did," said Princess Bubblegum, yawning and nestling her head against the nape of Marceline's neck.

"I'm sure they will," replied Marceline.

It was the early hours of the morning before they landed back on the balcony and Marceline glided into Bonnie's bedroom with a very tired princess on her back. She helped her take off her coat and boots before saying a final goodnight as she floated back out of the balcony doors and made her way home before the sun's rays began to invade the slumbering land.


	4. Sealing Success with a Kiss

The following morning found Princess Bubblegum back in the lab, pouring over her notes. It had been days since she had worked on the photon resistance serum, as she had dubbed it, and now she had a secondary reason for completing it. If Marceline could stay out in the daylight it would make any searches to find the killer less risky and would increase the amount of search time they could utilize.

At around late afternoon Finn and Jake returned from the Fire Kingdom. They too had asked and received the same reply as Marceline and Princess Bubblegum had from the Ice King. There were no reports of attacks or large winged monsters there either.  
The banana guards now patrolled the battlements and streets nightly, armed with crossbows and heavy horse drawn catapults.

"I've almost got it," said Princess Bubblegum as she stood with her hand poised over the beaker, holding a dropper of clear liquid.

"Gently, gently," she muttered to herself, her tongue poking out the corner of her mouth. Marceline watched her from across the room. For once pranking the young princess couldn't have been farther from her mind. Instead she watched intently as the final drop slid off the end of the dropper and fell into the liquid.

BOOM! There was a massive explosion and the princess was sent flying across the room. She landed on the floor and skidded backward a few feet on her back. Marceline sprang up from where she had been floating before darting over to the Princess' side.

"Bonnie," she cried, "Are you alright?"

"I think so," replied Princess Bubblegum, sitting up slowly, "I don't understand," she continued, staring at the overturned desk, "That final drop should have done it."

"It certainly did something," added Marceline, looking at the room. Sheets of paper littered the floor. Princess Bubblegum slumped her shoulders. She couldn't bring herself to even try to get back to work. "Uggh...it's hopeless," she sighed. She took off her glasses and looked at them. One of the lenses was cracked and the other lens had fallen out.

"Don't say that, Bonnie," said Marceline, resting her hands on Princess Bubblegum's shoulders and looking her in the eyes, "I've seen you deal with way more difficult potions than this."

Princess Bubblegum smiled. She didn't even correct the vampire over the use of the word potion to describe her experiments.

"Do you have any more of the potion from before you added the final drop?" asked Marceline. Princess Bubblegum shook her head. "And it will take me all night to make more," she groaned. "Well, night is when I work best," smiled Marceline, planting her hands on her hips, "Go on, set me to work. I am your humbug servant." She gave a sweeping bow, grinning at the princess, red eyes glinting from beneath thick lashed eyelids. Princess Bubblegum giggled, getting up and hugging Marceline gratefully. "Thank you, Mar-mar," she said, kissing Marceline on the cheek, "Thank you so much."

"N-no problem, Bonnie," replied Marceline, blushing and touching her hand to her cheek where PB had kissed her, "I guess we'd better get started."

Marceline helped Princess Bubblegum to turn the desk back the right way up and gather up her notes which had been scattered to the four winds. The edges of some were smoking a little but mercifully none had been destroyed. "If I read out the instructions to you, will you add in the ingredients?" asked Princess Bubblegum. Marceline nodded, standing in front of an empty beaker.

"Ok, first we need 3 fluid ounces of chlorophyll," she instructed, pointing to a bottle full of green liquid. Marceline measured out the chlorophyll and poured it into the beaker.

"Next we need an ounce of sky pixie dust," she said, indicating a jar of blue glittering dust that smelt faintly of ozone, "Add it and stir vigorously. And so it continued, Princess Bubblegum calling out instructions and Marceline following them, watching as the solution turned from green to turquoise to purple and finally to a glowing golden yellow.

Princess Bubblegum held up the final ingredient, the anti-photons. She had worked out that the volatile reaction had been caused by how it had been added. She cursed herself for not remembering the most important thing about anti-photons, the very reason they were kept in a sealed container wrapped in a layer of black-out tape. They were highly volatile in light of all things which was ironic given the serum's desired purpose. Princess Bubblegum closed all the curtains and turned off the lights, plunging the lab into absolute darkness.

"Hang on a moment," she said a moment later, realising the problem, "How am I supposed to measure out the tiny amount we need?"

"Not a problem," said Marceline nonchalantly, taking the container of anti-photons from the princess.

"Marceline, this is a highly delicate operation," Princess Bubblegum protested urgently, "We need to be really careful and-."

"And I have a steady hand and night eyes," Marceline cut in, "Bonnibel, I do understand the situation. I don't want you getting caught up in another science accident."

"I... sorry, Marceline," Princess Bubblegum apologised.

"That's alright," she replied. She sat down on the stool, container of anti-photons in one hand and beaker of photon resistance serum in the other. She opened the container. Inside the anti-photons leapt about. They were dark and instead of light, they gave out darkness. It was a strange effect that could not be described easily but they were like little light bulbs that gave out a deep inky darkness. They were ever changing in consistency, appearing like small black blobs of jelly one minute and like liquid the next. Marceline took out the dropper and dipped it into the anti-photons. They leapt around like live things as though trying to escape the suction of the dropper. Some were trapped and lifted out with the dropper.

Marceline held the dropper poised over the beaker, a look of firm concentration fixed on her face. Her snake-like tongue flickered across her teeth. She eased the bulb between thumb and forefinger and watched as the black mass travelled the length of the dropper, culminating in a miniscule drop at the tip. Sweat beading on her brow, Marceline applied one last bit of pressure. The black drop fell through the air and landed in the beaker. A light appeared in the centre of the serum. It grew bigger and brighter, filling the entire beaker and glowing iridescently. Marceline dove under the desk, becoming a bat and tucking herself away from the light. The entire room was filled with what looked like sunbeams and the air was filled with the smell of a hot summer's day.

Slowly the light dwindled, fading back to a pulsating glow contained by the beaker. Marceline emerged from beneath the desk, the fur on her body smoking a little. She flapped up to Princess Bubblegum where she landed on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Princess Bubblegum asked concernedly, reaching up and lifting the small creature off her shoulder, holding her gently. Marceline hooked one wing claw around the Princess' pinkie and nodded. She nuzzled her hand to reassure her when she continued to look worried.

Princess Bubblegum put the bat back on her shoulder before retrieving the glowing beaker. She took out a sample of Marceline's DNA and squirted a dropper-ful of the serum onto the cells. She then took down her sunlamp and turned it on, setting it to the lowest possible intensity. She placed the serum-coated cells under the lamp and made some observations. Slowly she increased the intensity, noting down observations as she went. Her heart thumped in her ears as the intensity neared direct sunlight intensity. Marceline watched intently, bright eyes peering out from a fold of the princess' pink bubblegum hair. Princess Bubblegum felt her tiny claws digging into her shoulder. The sunlamp reached its brightest intensity and...nothing. The cells remained unchanged. Princess Bubblegum waited longer to be sure but they remained grey and smokeless. She looked over at the bat on her shoulder and the grin on its fox-like face was unmistakable.

"We did it," she murmured, "We really did it." Marceline flapped up from her shoulder, morphing back into the ageless vampire. She was still grinning from ear to pointed ear. She put her arms around the princess, twirling her around in midair. Princess Bubblegum held on tight, smiling at the Vampire Queen in a mixture of adoration, gratefulness and sheer happiness. Marceline smiled back at her. They laughed and held on tight to one another, celebrating the momentous occasion. Marceline gazed at the Princess, her eyes travelling around her rosy pink features, her delicate lips, her lustrous pink hair before finally coming to rest on her bright green eyes. The princess blushed at her gaze, her smile widening. Her gaze made the Vampire Queen's undead heart do somersaults in her breathless chest.

In one instant she pulled her closer and brought her lips to hers. The princess' eyes were wide open, her body went rigid and for a moment Marceline thought she was going to pull away. Then her eyes slowly closed, lashes obscuring the green depths and her body relaxed into Marceline's. She began kissing her back, her lips moving against those of the Vampire Queen. They were soft and tasted unsurprisingly like bubblegum. Her breath, warm and sweet sent pleasant shivers running the length of Marceline's spine. One of Marceline's hands moved up to trace circles on the nape of Princess Bubblegum's neck. Her fangs puckered slowly over the Princess' lips. She laughed softly into the kiss, parting her lips and capturing Marceline's lips in hers. Her lips were cool and tasted like summer rain. Her arms held her close, strong but lovingly gentle.

They drew apart and gazed at one another. "Wow," was all Princess Bubblegum could manage, her heart hammering in her chest and her cheeks burning. Marceline too was blushing and her voice shuddered a little in her throat as she said, "I love you, Bonnibel."

"I love you too, Mar-mar," replied Princess Bubblegum as they floated back down to the ground. They looked a little flustered, having just unexpectedly and suddenly shown their innermost feelings for one another and began packing away the ingredients on the desk. Once in a while they stole glances at one another.

As night fell Princess Bubblegum followed Marceline to the balcony.

"Goodnight, my princess," murmured Marceline as she cupped the smaller monarch's chin in her hand, kissing her affectionately.

"Goodnight, my queen," replied Bonnibel, reluctantly letting go of Marceline's hand as she flew away. Soon she would no longer have to flee from the sun's rays.

Princess Bubblegum turned away from the balcony and went back into her room, rummaging around in her closet for a pair of pyjamas. She found some and put them on before flopping down on her bed. At least now the serum was complete and all that needed to be done was more tests to make sure it definitely worked and would not wear off suddenly. The mattress yielded beneath her, cushioning her and making her feel warm and safe, the same way she felt in Marceline's arms. She smiled, remembering their first kiss.


	5. Following Leads

The streets of the candy kingdom were dark. Since the sun had set a dense fog had rolled in from the foothills of the Ice Kingdom, settling over the candy kingdom. The pale lanterns that hung from the shops and houses were motionless in the sluggish air. They had been issued by the Princess' subjects to help cut down the risk of attacks. The moon shone faintly through the fog.

A chocolate muffin made his way down one of the side streets. He whistled uneasily, looking over his shoulder at the slightest sound. Something flickered across the alley behind him.

"Who's there?" he called into the darkness, "I don't want any trouble." The shadows deepened as the moon was completely obscured. Something rattled. A bin lid rolled into view where it fell onto its side with a resounding clatter. "Leave me alone," cried the muffin, backing away.

Two red eyes like cut rubies glittered in the shadows. A gaping maw with teeth like needles opened. A long glistening tongue flicked out and tasted the air.

"No, stay back," yelled the muffin. He tried to move but his feet were frozen in place. A breathy hissing reached his ears, chilling the sugar in his veins. The creature lunged. Suddenly his feet began to move and he ran from whatever it was. He cried out for help. Someone had to hear him before it was too late.

"HELP!" he yelled, "SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!" He looked over his shoulder at the creature that was soaring after him, drawing ever closer. His heart leapt into his mouth as another scream pierced the cold night air a few streets away. It was followed by another and another. The fourth scream ended in a sickening gurgle.

Something knocked into the muffin from the side and sent him sprawling to the ground. At once the creature was upon him. Sharp claws raked at him, clawing open gashes from which sugar poured in torrents. He screamed once as his eyes met those of his killer before he was silenced.

* * *

"Five?" cried Princess Bubblegum in disbelief.

"Yes Princess," replied Officer Butterscotch, "Five coolings in different farts of the kingdom." Princess Bubblegum put her face in her hands, five killings in different areas in the kingdom. Things were even worse than they had first thought. It wasn't one killer they were dealing with here. It was five, or maybe even more. The worst part of all, the rotten cherry on the stale cake, was that the Banana Guards had seen nothing. The fog remained a possible factor as to why the killer had entered, killed and left undetected by the guards. That is, until late that morning. Officer Butterscotch led a trembling spearmint into the throne room.

"Your midgesty," said Officer Butterscotch, "I have here a witness of last nit's murders."

"It was awful, your majesty," quavered the spearmint, "Absolutely terrible. This horrible monster with red eyes and a mouthful of fangs crawled out of the shadows. It was all teeth. It was tall and thin. It jumped poor Rodney and...and...your majesty, I can't continue. I just can't." He dissolved into floods of tears.

"Crawled? Didn't it have wings?" pressed Princess Bubblegum.

"What? No, it had no wings, it...it..." sputtered the spearmint.

"That's alright, that's all we needed to know," replied Princess Bubblegum.

"Which one was Rodney?" she asked Officer Butterscotch quietly.

"The chocolate muffin," Officer Butterscotch replied, "We fund him in an alleyway down by the post office."

"That's terrible," said Princess Bubblegum sympathetically.

"And this was fund at the scene of the attack," said Officer Butterscotch, handing her a small item. On closer inspection it was revealed to be a fang. It was long and curved with what looked like sugar coating the tip.

"I'll take this to my lab for testing," she said matter-of-factly, "This could open some new leads for us."

"Yes, your midgesty," said Officer Butterscotch, "I certainly hope so."

After Officer Butterscotch had led the terrified-looking spearmint away Princess Bubblegum made her way up to her lab.

The testing sessions were going well, the cells still unyielding to the sunlight. She sat down at her desk and set the fang down on the desk. She examined it under the microscope and found that the fang was riddled with capillaries that led up to the root where it would sit in the gum. To her mild surprise there was no trace of blood around the root. Already she saw that taking a DNA sample would be near impossible for the fang was as solid as a rock and the absence of blood left her with no samples. She sat at her desk, making notes and trying out different tests on the fang such as dropping it in acid which had no effect and chipping at it with a small sharp tool which left no mark on the fang.  
Her stomach rumbled and only then did she realise it was almost dinnertime.

She made her way down to the royal kitchens. She was met at the door by a very disgruntled-looking Mimi. Mimi la Bon-Bon was the newest addition to the kitchen staff at the palace. She was a short round pink candy with a bouffant of candy floss pink hair perched atop her head. She wore a white shirt and apron and a black skirt.

"Princess, there is someone in the kitchen," she said crossly, "She's sucking all the colour out of our strawberries." Princess Bubblegum rolled her eyes at this. She knew immediately who their mysterious colour drainer was. "I'll handle this," she said.

She walked into the expansive kitchen, closely followed by Mimi. Marceline had attracted quite a bit of attention from the kitchen staff. René Carambar, the head chef, was brandishing a ladle at her while she floated casually above him, poking her tongue out at him. Yvette Blamange was standing behind René, manicured fingernails gripping his shirt tightly.

"Marceline, what _are_ you doing?" asked Princess Bubblegum.

"Just grabbing a bite to eat," replied Marceline, hanging upside down in midair.

"More like terrorizing my staff," said Princess Bubblegum. She turned to René, Mimi and Yvette, "It's alright. I know her. She doesn't mean any harm." She turned back to Marceline who was sucking the red out of another strawberry. "Marceline, will you come down from there?"

"As you wish, my Princess," grinned Marceline as she glided down to land in front of the princess. "Marceline, I need you to come with me to my room. I've got something to show you," she said under her breath.

"Oh Bonnie, I hadn't realised we had reached Tier 15 already," replied Marceline with a sly wink. Princess Bubblegum flushed bright red.

"That's not what I meant," she squeaked. She grabbed Marceline's hand and led her out of the room, up towards the royal sleeping quarters.

They entered Princess Bubblegum's bedroom and closed the door. "So," said Marceline, wrapping her arms around Princess Bubblegum and kissing her on the neck. She was rewarded with a shiver from the pink monarch, "What tier have we reached then?"

She hesitated. "Is something the matter?" she asked when she noticed the serious look on Princess Bubblegum's face.

"There were five more murders last night," explained Princess Bubblegum, "This," she held up the fang, "was found at the scene of one of the killings." Marceline took the fang from Princess Bubblegum and examined it closely.

"There are only a few creatures this fang could have come from," she said, her brow furrowing, "If this fang belongs to what I think it does, we could be dealing with something extremely serious."

"I thought we already were," said Princess Bubblegum.

"A few killings are nothing compared to what we could be facing," answered Marceline.

"How do you mean?" asked Princess Bubblegum.

"How does a full scale city wide massacre strike you?" proposed Marceline. Princess Bubblegum paled noticeably at this. "So, what do you think we could be dealing with?" she asked.

"Never mind now," replied Marceline, "I'll do some investigating of my own. The best thing for you to do in the meantime is to put the entire kingdom under a strict curfew and for goodness sakes, lock up your lab and post extra security there. And most importantly, I want you to get more guards for yourself. I don't want anything happening to you." She rested her hands on Princess Bubblegum's shoulders.

Princess Bubblegum smiled. "I'll be fine," she said. She stepped closer to Marceline and put her arms around her, resting her head in the crook of her neck, "You know me, I try to think out all the possibilities." She felt Marceline's breath on her forehead as she sighed.

"That's just it, Bonnie," she murmured, "You're ready for all the strategic and well thought out attacks but when it comes to chaos and organised chaos, something which seems unplanned, you...flounder."

"Marceline, I promise I'll be perfectly safe," said Princess Bubblegum, "I'll not leave the palace after dark and I'll cancel all my conferences until we solve these murders. I'll take every precaution I can."

"Alright, I suppose I can't argue with that," smiled Marceline.

"And I promise, when this is all over, we'll spend more time together, like a proper couple," Princess Bubblegum added, leaning up and kissing her affectionately. Marceline chuckled softly, her chest shaking with each laugh.

"I'd like that," she murmured, resting her head on Princess Bubblegum's head, "But for now I have to follow up some leads of my own. I just dropped by to make sure you were alright." Princess Bubblegum giggled. "I love you, Mar-Mar," she said.

"I love you too, Bonnie," replied Marceline. They stayed like that for several minutes, not wanting to let go.

"I'd better go," said Marceline, "You'd better get some rest. You look more tired than a nightwalker." She kissed Princess Bubblegum goodnight before flying to the window. She looked back over her shoulder, giving the princess a fang filled smile before flying out the window.

She didn't move far from the candy kingdom and instead positioned herself just beyond the palace walls in the shadow of one of the watchtowers. She took out a strawberry she had stolen from the kitchens and bit into it, draining the colour. She tossed the grey strawberry aside as she heard the curfew siren emanating from the palace, alerting the inhabitants to seek their homes.


	6. Identity Revealed

Marceline sat cross-legged in the shadow of the watch tower, night eyes scanning the landscape. The kingdom behind her was deathly quiet and the only sound that reached her keen ears was the rustling of candy floss leaves from the tree atop the tallest tower and the lapping of the orangeade moat a few feet away from the tips of her red high-heeled boots.

Suddenly she jerked her head up as her ears picked up on a new sound, paws running through tall grass. She slunk back into the shadows, watching the grassland ahead of her. In the distance something moved in the grass, making a beeline for the candy kingdom. She tensed up where she floated, ready to spring forwards at the slightest inclination.

Somewhere off to her left a howl sounded. It would have chilled her blood in her veins, had she had any. It was not the howl of an ordinary wolf. It sounded too...human if that was the word for it. The owner of the howl was not human though they shared many physical characteristics with them.

A black wolf plunged out of the grass to her left and dashed straight for the moat. It leapt over the moat, making a graceful arc over the orangeade. Mid-jump the wolf shrunk, morphing into a bat which began flapping up towards the battlements.

"Oh no you don't," growled Marceline through gritted teeth. She shrunk down, taking on her lizard form. She turned to the wall behind her and crawled up it, her long fingers and toes easily finding the cracks in the stonework.

She reached the top and launched herself at the bat, grabbing it in her claws. They tumbled through the air, the ground rushing up to meet them. The bat in her claws began to grow, its wings expanding to the size of tarpaulins and its teeth lengthening into needles. It twisted in her grasp, freeing itself and flapping up into the air. Marceline turned in midair, assuming the form of a large owl with a sharp beak and cruel talons. She screeched at the intruder who hissed at her in response before lunging at her. Marceline screeched, racing forwards with her talons outstretched. They clashed together in a flurry of fur and feathers. Marceline's beak and talons ripped holes in the bat's wings and the bat's teeth sunk into Marceline's neck. Had she not been a vampire this would have been a fatal blow. She snapped her head round and pecked viciously at the bat. It shrieked in pain, releasing its hold.

They clashed again and again, filling the air with angry shrieks and flying fur and feathers.

Marceline pinned the intruder, now in the form of a wolf, to the ground.

"Show your true form," hissed Marceline, "I know what you are."

"I would expect you to know your own kind," snarled the wolf.

"I am nothing like you, you hear me?" spat Marceline.

"Touchy, aren't you?" growled the wolf. The fur faded from his face and his muzzle receded, leaving a mouth with three curving fangs visible, one fang was missing. Cold red eyes fixed her unblinkingly and his pale skin shone in the moonlight.

"What are you doing here?" hissed Marceline, "Answer me."

"Tch, why should I answer to you?" replied the vampire.

"Because I am the Queen," growled Marceline, "I took the crown from the Vampire King so you answer to me. Now tell me, what are you doing here?"

"Attacking the Candy Kingdom but I'm sure you already worked that out," he replied scathingly.

"Why?" asked Marceline, her eyes not leaving the vampire for a second.

"There's something of interest to us in there," grinned the vampire, "Something that will be to our advantage. We'll cease to be night creatures and we'll be free to rule the candy kingdom, or any kingdom for that matter." Marceline glowered at the vampire. "And it's about time I continued with my job," he added with a smirk.

Something slammed into Marceline, knocking her off the vampire. A great grey she-wolf, no doubt another vampire, stood before her, saliva dripping from its jaws. Marceline lowered herself to the ground, morphing into her wolf form, preparing for battle. She lunged.

* * *

In her bedroom Princess Bubblegum slept fitfully. The bedclothes lay in a heap on the floor and she had knocked her crown off her nightstand whilst hitting out at something in her sleep. Nightmares crowded her mind, candy people running from shadows and a creature that sounded like a wounded wolf baying mournfully in the background. She tossed and turned, whimpering in her sleep.

"No...don't," she cried, "Leave..."

* * *

Marceline recoiled from the attack, dodging the fangs of the other two vampires who were both in wolf form. One of them lunged from the side, ripping a gash along her arm. She had been forced back into vampire form, too tired to change anymore. She hissed savagely, clutching her arm as she dashed at the nearest vampire, claws raking at the furry hide. She pushed him to the ground before turning on the other vampire who was whipping herself up into a slavering frenzy.

Suddenly she stopped, raising her snout and looking at the eastern horizon. The first rays of sunlight were sliding down over the valley where the Candy Kingdom nestled. She cried out in pain as the first rays struck her, burning her skin. She howled to her companion who nodded in agreement. They turned and fled, creating a portal to the Dark Domain through which they disappeared.

Marceline dropped to her hands and knees, the sun burning her skin, turning her arms into a mass of burns and scorch marks. She looked wearily up at the kingdom. She made for it desperately, feeling her strength and consciousness slowly ebbing away. She flew up over the castle walls, making a rather wobbly beeline for the princess' balcony.

CRASH! The princess sat upright in bed. The floor in front of the balcony doors was littered with glass. Lying in amongst the glass was...

"Marceline!" cried Princess Bubblegum, darting from the bed and kneeling at Marceline's side. "Oh glob, Marceline!" she wailed, shaking the Vampire Queen's shoulders, "Speak to me!"

"Owww," Marceline groaned in pain, "Close 'em. The curtains, close 'em."

"Of course," replied Princess Bubblegum worriedly, getting to her feet and closing the lavender curtains. Immediately the sun's rays were reduced to a bronzy early morning glow. Princess Bubblegum turned back to Marceline only to discover she was gone. Where she had lain was a pile of ash. Princess Bubblegum cried out in panic.

"MARCELINE!" she cried.

"Sheesh, easy princess," mumbled a voice from nearby, "I'm over here." Princess Bubblegum looked over in the direction the voice had come from. Something shifted in the pile of bedclothes at the foot of her bed. Marceline was curled up in the deep magenta sheets. Her skin was scorched and an open gash ran from her shoulder to her elbow.

"Marceline, what happened?" gasped Princess Bubblegum, "How did you get into this state? Did something attack you? Was it the killers?"

"Bonnie, Bonnie, one thing at a time," complained Marceline, "Let me rest and recover. I'll tell you after." Princess Bubblegum nodded, eyeing the gash on Marceline's arm.

"But first your arm, it needs some bandages," she said, getting to her feet and hurrying into the bathroom where the first aid kit was kept. She hurried back to Marceline's side where she opened the first aid kit, pulling out bandages and disinfectant wipes. The wound was considerably deep, made all the worse looking by the lack of blood, allowing the veins and muscles to be seen clearly. Princess Bubblegum cleaned the wound, removing all the dirt and fur left behind from the fight. She then began sewing together the two sides of the wound, closing it over. Marceline watched her as she worked, remembering the times when she had sewn up Hambo when parts of him became tattered and torn. Princess Bubblegum wound a bandage around the wound, tying it in place.

She cast her eyes over the extent of Marceline's injuries. What could have left Marceline, one of the strongest people she knew, in such a state? Thankfully Marceline's burns were already beginning to heal, helped along by her natural regenerative abilities.

"I'm just going to rest for a bit," said Marceline, her voice rasping a little in her throat. Princess Bubblegum nodded, stroking the Vampire Queen's thick black hair. Once she was sure she was asleep she got up and called for Peppermint Butler. When he arrived she asked him to fetch some strawberries from the kitchens. She was sure that Marceline would be hungry when she woke up.

After Peppermint Butler had left she returned to Marceline's side to keep quiet vigil over her. A few times the Vampire Queen showed signs of stirring before falling back into unconsciousness.

It was late afternoon before she finally awoke.

"Phew, I'm glad you're awake," said Princess Bubblegum, breathing a sigh of relief, "I thought for a while you weren't going to." Marceline chuckled.

"I've been in worse scrapes than that, trust me," she grinned.

"Yes, but still, I was worried," replied Princess Bubblegum.

"You're going all mushy on me, Bonnibel," teased Marceline, reaching up and touching Princess Bubblegum's face lightly. Princess Bubblegum pouted.

"Yeah, well, you scared me," she mumbled. Marceline laughed.

"C'mere bubblegum breath," she said with a toothy grin. She curled her arm around Princess Bubblegum's neck, pulling her closer. Even when she was in a weakened state she was rather strong. She kissed Princess Bubblegum lovingly, her hand tangled in her hair. She drew back with a gasp as her back gave a twinge.

"You should be resting," Princess Bubblegum chided gently.

"Only if you rest with me," replied Marceline impishly, "Besides," her voice took on a more serious tone, "That way I can tell you what I saw. Make yourself comfy Princess." Princess Bubblegum nestled down in the sheets next to Marceline who put her arm around her, drawing her closer.

"Could you hand me one of those strawberries?" she asked. Princess Bubblegum handed her one of the strawberries. She sucked the colour from it before beginning.

"I had just left your room, I had some suspicions of my own about the fang and I wanted to see if I was right," began Marceline, "So I waited below one of the watchtowers. It wasn't long after the curfew that I spotted something moving in the grass. It was a wolf or rather it had the appearance of a wolf. It wasn't until it leapt over the moat, turning into a bat halfway across that I realised what it really was."

"What was it?" asked Princess Bubblegum, gripping Marceline's shirt tightly.

"I was just getting to that," replied Marceline, "Either way, you're looking at one right now."

"A vampire?" said Princess Bubblegum in disbelief, "But why would a vampire attack candy people?"

"More like why wouldn't he?" said Marceline, "Not all vampires are like me, eating red. Some, most still eat blood and prey on people and creatures weaker than themselves. They are not all as civilised as me. "

"I wouldn't exactly call you civilised," giggled Princess Bubblegum. She stopped when she Marceline's serious expression.

"Bonnibel, this is serious," said Marceline, "It's not just the candy people they're after, they're after your kingdom and they're going to try and steal your potion to assure their victory. If they manage to get a hold of that all is lost. Can you even begin to imagine what life would be like under the rule of a kingdom of bloodthirsty demons?"

"No," Princess Bubblegum replied simply, snuggling closer into the embrace, burying her face in the crook of Marceline's neck, "I can't."

"Trust me, you don't want to," murmured Marceline, looking up at the ceiling. One hand stroked Princess Bubblegum's hair absentmindedly, "You don't want to."


	7. A New Plan

The following evening Marceline felt more or less like her old self. The wound on her arm was healing and most of the burns had disappeared from her skin. She had spent the day at the Candy Kingdom at Princess Bubblegum's insistence.

They were gathered once more in the conference hall. This time both BMO and Lumpy Space Princess had accompanied them. Princess Bubblegum and Marceline felt this was a matter that concerned all of Ooo and the neighbouring dimension's inhabitants.

"Vampires?" said Finn. Marceline nodded.

"I saw two that night but I'm certain there were more," she replied.

"But why are they attacking the Candy Kingdom?" asked Jake. Marceline looked at Princess Bubblegum who looked back at her, giving a nod. She turned back to face the others.

"It's because of an experiment I was working on down in the lab," she explained, looking downcast, "A photon resistance serum."

"A who what now?" asked Jake.

"A photon resistance serum," replied Princess Bubblegum, "It makes vampires invulnerable to sunlight. I was making it so that Marceline could spend more time with us."

"But, how did they like, find out about it?" asked LSP, "Seeing as it's supposed to be a secret n' all."

"Your guess is as good as mine," replied Princess Bubblegum, "I thought my lab was absolutely secure. And I didn't tell anyone."

"Except Marceline, right?" asked LSP.

"LSP! It wasn't Marceline if that's what you're thinking," sputtered Princess Bubblegum, "She wouldn't do anything like that."

"Damn right," added Marceline, narrowing her eyes at the floating purple cloud.

"I'd trust Marceline with my life," continued Princess Bubblegum. Marceline looked mildly surprised at this. She knew the pink monarch trusted her to some extent but she had had no idea the trust was so deep. She smiled at the Princess who smiled back.

"Geez, I was just trying to help," mumbled LSP, folding her arms. She often forgot how real friendships and relationships were outside of lumpy space and she sometimes found it rather unreal how people here were so trusting and loyal.

"Well," said Finn, eager to change the subject, "If they're after the potion why don't they just try and steal it?"

"That's what I don't understand either," admitted Princess Bubblegum, "Why attack random citizens?"

"It's all very confusing," added BMO, his screen displaying a dizzy expression.

"There's bound to be a reason though," said Finn, "And whatever it is, they won't get away with it." He punched his fist into his palm.

"But until we find out what that reason is we're sitting ducks," interjected Princess Bubblegum, "Does anyone have any idea how we can find out?"

"Why don't we just capture one of them when they go to attack?" asked Jake.

"Not possible," replied Princess Bubblegum, "They're way too powerful and now that they are attacking in groups the risk would be far too great."

"Whatever, we can take them," said Finn confidently.

"No," Princess Bubblegum replied firmly, "I have no doubt you boys are strong but this is too much. As you all know Marceline's a vampire and she shares the same strength as them but even she had trouble fighting them," she rested one hand on Marceline's shoulder, "Marcy," she said, "Show them your arm." Marceline nodded and began removing the bandages from her left arm. LSP gasped when she saw the stitched wound stretching from her elbow to her shoulder.

"What exactly happened, Marceline?" asked Finn.

"Well, that night when I visited Bonnie at the palace she showed me something the killer had left behind, a fang," began Marceline, "I couldn't tell for sure at first if it was a vampire fang but I felt I had to find out. So I positioned myself outside the kingdom, below one of the watch towers."

She told them how she had waited, how she had spotted the wolf running towards the kingdom, turning into a bat as it leapt over the moat. She told them how she had attacked the bat and about the battle that ensued after. And lastly she told them about how the second vampire had shown up and how the battle had turned sour.

"Lumpin' heck, it's a good job you were near the palace," said LSP.

"I know, I was pretty lucky," replied Marceline, "And that's why, Finn and Jake, you can't go after them." Finn and Jake nodded.

"But if we can't capture them, what _are_ we going to do?" asked BMO.

"I have a plan," said Marceline. She looked at them all in turn. "Once I'm fit to travel I'll go to the Dark Domain. That's where the vampires live."

"But I thought they came from the Nightosphere," interrupted Finn.

"No, demons come from the Nightosphere," Marceline corrected, "I'm part demon so part of me belongs there but no, vampires live in the Dark Domain. Anyway, I'll go there and see if I can find out what they're planning. I'll be gone two weeks. A month at the most."

"No way Marcy," said Princess Bubblegum firmly, "You nearly got killed the last time. I-I don't...I couldn't face it...if anything happened to you. No, we'll find another way."

"Princess, there isn't another way," replied Marceline, "This is the only way we can find out what's going on. Until we find out we're in just as much danger here. Besides, I can look after myself, they just got lucky that time." Princess Bubblegum shook her head.

"Listen Bonnie," said Marceline, resting her hands on PB's shoulders, "This will be a peaceful mission. No fighting involved. All I have to do is a little searching around, get the information and come back."

"But what if they recognise you?" asked Princess Bubblegum.

The rest of the gang watched the exchange of worries and reassurances between the two monarchs with mild surprise. They had never seen the Princess and the Vampire Queen so...affectionate towards one another. Princess Bubblegum and Marceline still hadn't told them about their being a couple. They knew there'd be a time and a place but now wasn't it.

"They won't," replied Marceline, "The odds of me coming across the vampires that attacked me are very small. Plus I'll be taking some precautions." Princess Bubblegum fell silent, looking down at the ground. "I promise I'll be careful," she said, pulling her into an embrace. Princess Bubblegum returned the embrace, resting her head on Marceline's shoulder so she wouldn't see the tears that were forming in her emerald eyes. "Alright," she said, her fingers gripping Marceline's tank top tightly, "Just be careful."

"I will," replied Marceline. She pulled back and smiled. "You're crying," she laughed, "Crying, over me. Oh glob, you can be so sentimental at times." Princess Bubblegum couldn't help but smile a little at this.

"Well, I worry about you sometimes, you big dope," she said tearfully.

* * *

"Where is the Dark Domain?" asked Finn over dinner.

"It's north of here," replied Marceline, "Far beyond the Ice Kingdom. Because of that it's very cold and the sun never shines there."

"What? Never?" said Finn in surprise.

"Never," replied Marceline.

"But how?" asked Jake, his mouth full of food.

"Something to do with the planet's rotation and axis or something like that," said Marceline, waving her hand dismissively, "I don't get it exactly. All I know is that's how it is."

"And what are these precautions you mentioned?" asked Jake, translating Lady's question.

"I'm going to alter my appearance a little," explained Marceline, "And put on a different voice. I used to live in the Dark Domain you see. But when I moved to Ooo I lost my accent. But it shouldn't stop me from getting it back. All I need is a little practice."

"What does a Dark Domain accent sound like?" asked LSP, curious despite herself.

"A little like this," replied Marceline, speaking in a low guttural voice, "I vont to suck your blood." Finn and Jake laughed, pounding the table with their fists.

"That's wicked man," said Finn. Marceline laughed.

"So, when do you have to leave?" asked BMO. Finn and Jake fell silent.

"Geez, way to kill the mood," muttered LSP.

"I'm sorry, I was just asking," replied BMO.

"In a few days, my arm should be better by then," replied Marceline, "I heal fast." Princess Bubblegum looked down at her plate, suddenly not hungry. Her stomach was already beginning to tie itself in knots. "Guys, I think I'm going to go sit down in the other room," she said, getting up from the table. Marceline watched her go. She knew her imminent departure was worrying the princess despite the reassurances she had given her.

"I'd better go make sure she's okay," she said, getting up.

"Sure thing Marce," said Finn.

Marceline floated down the hallway to the sitting room. She found the princess curled up on the sofa, clutching a cushion to her chest. She sat down next to her and rested her hand on her arm. Princess Bubblegum looked up at her. Her eyes were red rimmed and Marceline knew she had been crying. She looked at her for a moment as though surprised by her presence before flinging her arms around her neck, burying her face in Marceline's neck. Marceline held her tight, stroking her hair gently.

"I don't want you to go," Princess Bubblegum sobbed into her neck, her voice muffled by the fabric of Marceline's tank top. She felt the princess' tears running down her neck.

"I'm afraid I have to," replied Marceline, "If I don't, the Candy Kingdom will be every bit as dangerous as where I'm going. And I don't want anything to happen to you either." She leaned back on the sofa and Princess Bubblegum snuggled against her.

"Can't I go with you?" she asked. Marceline chuckled. "What's so funny?" asked Princess Bubblegum.

"No offence, but you don't exactly look like a vampire," she laughed, "For a start no vampires have bubblegum hair. You're as pink as I am grey and—," she tickled the Princess' neck, causing her to laugh softly, "—where are your bite marks?" Princess Bubblegum smiled up at her.

"I'm going to miss you Marcy," she said.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Bonnie," replied Marceline, "But hey, I'll be back before you know it. I promise." She kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"I love you Mar-Mar," murmured Princess Bubblegum.

"I love you too, Bonnie," Marceline replied.


	8. Journey to the Dark Domain

Several nights later Marceline and Princess Bubblegum stood at the front gates. Marceline had cut her hair and it now fell to just above her shoulders. She was wearing a tattered looking top and jeans with rips at the knees. On her feet she wore a pair of brown hobnail boots and a travelling cloak billowed at her back.

Princess Bubblegum stepped forwards, holding a small object in her hands. "Marceline, there's something I want you to have," she said, fastening the necklace around Marceline's neck. Marceline lightly touched the pendant at her neck. "Your jade necklace?" she said in surprise, "Bonnie, I can't take this."

"Please keep it with you Marceline, to protect you," she said tearfully, "Please, I want you to have it." Marceline smiled.

"I'll treasure it always," she said as she began to float up and away from the Princess. Princess Bubblegum watched her until she was out of sight. It was then, with a heavy heart that she returned to the palace.

* * *

Marceline soared high across the tree tops as the moon climbed higher in the sky. It was a crisp autumn night. Owls hooted as they hunted and a chill wind swept through the night air. It would be four days before she reached the Dark Domain and that was with favourable weather. She caught sight of a pack of wolves running beneath her on the open plains but she did not dare call out to them. She couldn't risk drawing attention to herself.

Halfway through the night she landed in a dense forest. Her stomach rumbled loudly. She fished around in her backpack, pulling out an apple. Princess Bubblegum had packed her a supply of food that would hopefully last her, her entire trip. She chuckled to herself. The princess knew everything she liked and even remembered to steer clear of tomatoes. She bit into the apple, draining it of its colour.

Something scuttered about in the undergrowth. Marceline tensed up, watching the undergrowth with wary eyes. She breathed a sigh of relief as a mouse darted out from a nearby bush. She allowed her muscles to relax as she resumed her meal. Once she had finished she slung her backpack over her shoulder, the cold wind caressing her as she soared back above the tree tops.

She began to lose track of time as she flew and it was only when she saw the eastern horizon turning a bronzy orange that she glided down to the forest floor, looking for shelter. She found a densely foliated oak tree with spreading limbs and a knot hole in its vast trunk. She morphed into her bat form, flapping up into the knot hole where she settled, folding her wings over her face to wait out the day. The morning chorus of birds was the last thing she heard as she drifted off to sleep.

That night she awoke to the sound of bats screeching in the night air. She poked her head out of her resting place and was met by the face of another bat, a wild one. It was screeching angrily at her. Apparently this was its usual resting place. She laughed, perching on the edge of the knot hole. "I was just leaving anyway," she grinned. She flapped up into the air where she resumed her own form, leaving the bat looking after her with a shocked expression on its furry face.

* * *

Princess Bubblegum paced the floor of her study anxiously. More attacks had been carried out on the kingdom the previous night. There had been no deaths this time but the citizens were becoming jumpy and anxious. They would not leave their houses after sunset and they had started carrying weapons around with them. Some of them were becoming tetchy and irritable and it was not uncommon for fights to break out in the marketplace.

And to top it all a group of candy people had gathered together, forming into a group of vigilantes. They had decided that the monarchy could not do enough so they formed what they referred to as the Candy Resistance. They were led by a feisty young nougat girl, Michelle Nougat and they were fifteen strong. They dressed in brown overcoats, neckerchiefs, berets, white stockings and black shoes. Their motives and intentions were good but in all honesty they were more of a hindrance than a help.

Princess Bubblegum looked out of the window, her gaze lingering on the northern horizon. She touched the place at her neck where her necklace had been and she prayed for her lover's safe return.

* * *

It was eight days and nights before Marceline reached the fringes of the Dark Domain. A storm had slowed her progress as she made her way across the Northern Escarpment and she had been forced to wait it out. Then she had a bit of trouble with a giant while she was resting in a cave and was lucky to make an escape. To her dismay it had been broad daylight when she had escaped the cave and she was forced to find shelter in amongst a pile of leaf litter. She had spent several hours pulling twigs and leaves out of her hair.

As the city of Lamiae loomed into view Marceline pulled the hood of her travelling cloak over her head. The land around her was a stark white, buried under a thick layer of snow. The sky was inky black and the only light came from the stars and from the crescent moon that hung in the sky like a shaving of ice. The buildings themselves were twisted and black. The only features that could be easily distinguished from the surrounding gloom was the layer of snow that covered each roof and the small windows, from which emanated a pale sickly light.

Marceline made her way down the dark winding streets. A black wraith cat slunk away from her, it's amber eyes glowing in the dark. It's wispy tail flickered as it disappeared around a corner. With the cold and the dark the only pets that could survive here were wraith animals. They moved with silent tread and made no sound.

At last Marceline found what she was looking for. Light spilled out from a doorway ahead of her. She could just make out the sign that swung in the stiff breeze. She glided into the warm tavern. A fire was burning steadily in a fire pit in the centre of the room. There were no chairs due to the vampires' tendency to float. There were only roughly carved tables on which rested pints of blood. Marceline curled her lip with distaste. She could not bring herself to even think of drinking blood. The thought of how the bottles or flagons, for all she knew, may contain the blood of someone she knew turned her stomach. She went up to the bar where a burly vampire with a tangled mane of black hair was cleaning a glass with an old rag.

"I need a room for the night," she said, pulling out a drawstring purse, "Will this be enough?" She held out four silver coins. The vampire took the coins from her and inspected them with an expert eye. "Second floor, fourth door on your left," he grunted before returning his attention to the glass.

Marceline floated up through the hole in the floor, past the first floor to the second floor. Stairs were another useless invention to Lamiae's inhabitants.

She floated along the landing and pushed open the door. The room was sparsely furnished. A rickety nightstand stood by the uncomfortable looking bed. A table stood by the window where raggedy black curtains flapped in the night air. The air in the room was chill, not helped by the open window. Marceline floated over to the window, closing it before turning to the bed. After a few hours rest she would begin searching for the vampires in charge of the attack. The tavern would be as good a place as any to begin looking. The usual chatter that came with drinking fermented blood often led to secrets and knowledge being carelessly revealed. Marceline set her rucksack down on the floor next to the bed. She floated above the mattress, resting her head on her hands. The long night's travelling had finally caught up with her and her eyelids drooped as sleep took over.

She woke early the following night, or what she guessed was night. Time had next to no meaning in the Dark Domain. She gathered together her possessions before making her way down to the lower level. The tavern was already full for it never truly emptied. The inhabitants of Lamiae had no rigid idea of night and day. How could they? Marceline hovered next to a table, making herself as inconspicuous as possible. Her keen ears picked up on every conversation in the room but none rewarded her with the knowledge she needed. After a few hours she got up and headed for the door.

She left the tavern, making her way down the crooked streets. Here and there vampires stood around talking or pushing wagons down towards the marketplace. From there they traded with other races in the area. Bronze, iron, anything practical for making weaponry. The vampires for the most part were a warlike people. Two vampire women stood gossiping at a fence while a group of vampire children flew around in a ragtag group, playing a game only they knew the rules of. It was as she passed by an alleyway that her ears picked up on something interesting.

"Yes, another attack tonight, that's what I heard," hissed one voice.

"That bubblegum brat won't hold out much longer," said another lower voice. Marceline clenched her hands into fists.

"Where are they holding the next meeting?" hissed the first voice.

"Sibelus, you brain-dead oaf," snarled the second voice, "The next meeting is at the old wrecked factory on the edge of town. I was going there now." This was her chance. Marceline crept after them, silent as a shadow as they made their way out of the bustle of the centre of town. The further they travelled from the centre, the more derelict the buildings became. Debris littered the street and it looked more and more like Marceline's memories of the aftermath of the Great Mushroom War. She felt a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach when she thought back to those days.

At last the two vampire's stopped outside an old abandoned factory. Most of the windows were broken and the once tall chimney was crumbling in on itself. The moon shone down on them and for the first time Marceline could see the features of the vampires she had been following. One of the, the one she guessed was Sibelus, was tall and thin with scraggy black hair. The other was shorter and more heavyset with black hair and beard. Marceline followed them in through a hole in the wall. The interior of the factory was lit by numerous candles, clustered together around the grey stone walls. Already a multitude of vampires were gathered there and it looked like more were set to arrive.

"Oi, you going to take a seat or what?" asked a surly looking vampire with a scar on his cheek. He was glowering at Marceline. One of his fangs was chipped and his breath smelt of congealed blood. The odour nearly sent Marceline reeling but she managed to hide it.

"Yes," she said and after a moment she added, "Will the meeting start soon?"

"The meeting will start as soon as our leader gets here," replied the vampire. Suddenly he directed his attention to something over Marceline's shoulder. "And there he is now," he added in an undertone.

"Get to your seat," barked a voice behind Marceline. She turned to see a vampire with long white hair, wearing a long black trench coat. He was tall and slender, even by vampire standards and he was staring unblinkingly at Marceline, his blood red eyes boring into hers. Usually Marceline would have baulked at the idea of taking orders but it occurred to her that on this occasion to do so would make her very conspicuous. "Yes sir," she said as meekly as she could before taking a seat in amongst the ranks of vampires.

The head vampire floated up to the lectern which was made out of two old crates stacked on top of each other. "I'm pleased to say our plans are coming together, the Candy Kingdom is trembling under our mighty wrath. With each day the citizens grow more fretful and distrusting of the monarchy," he began. The vampires around Marceline roared their approval and Marceline joined in to avoid rousing suspicion. Even though she knew it was all an act she still felt rotten doing it. "Tonight we will send out more of our forces to hide out in the Acutus mountains," continued the head vampire, "They will remain there and await our command upon which they will flood the Candy Kingdom, mounting a full-scale attack on the castle itself. That potion of Princess Bubblegum's will be ours. First the Candy Kingdom shall fall, then all of Ooo." There was another roar of approval. Marceline took a deep breath before standing up.

"But why are we attacking the citizens?" asked Marceline, "Why not just go straight for the potion?" It was a risky move and all eyes turned to look at her.

"And who are you to question our plans?" asked the head vampire. Marceline swallowed nervously before replying.

"I am Agana of the Sanguis Wraith Clan," replied Marceline in as level a voice as she could manage, looking straight at the head vampire unblinkingly. She tried her best to ignore the gaze of the numerous vampires around her.

"I have not seen you around before," growled the Head Vampire.

"I travelled here from the neighbouring city," lied Marceline, "I heard of your plans. I have a long standing grudge against the Candy People. My brother was slain there and I wish to seek revenge." She waited with baited breath while the head vampire considered her words.

"Very well," he said at last, "I believe your story." He hesitated for a moment, "As for your question, the reason is simple. Princess Bubblegum," at this point he spat on the floor, "is known for her inability to work against chaos. And what could be more chaotic than war. This way she will be forced to declare war on us and that will be the biggest and last mistake she ever makes. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes sir," said Marceline as she sat back down.

The meeting continued whereupon the head vampire set out their next targets and assigned positions to certain members of the group.

"Now, my coven of Sun Reachers," he concluded, "Go forth, the time for war is almost upon us." The gathering roared in approval.

Marceline glided with them out through the hole in the wall. She went with them a little ways down the streets before slipping into a side alley at the first opportunity. She pulled the hood of her travelling cloak over her head. _'War? So that is what they've been planning all along,' she thought to herself. She knew she would have to make haste back to the Candy Kingdom. It was only a matter of time._


	9. Return of the Vampire Queen

Princess Bubblegum stood at the window. She had taken to doing this on a nightly basis. She felt night would be the most likely time when Marceline would return. It had been nearly two weeks since she had left for the Dark Domain. Rain pattered steadily against the window, turning the view outside into a hazy wash of sombre colours. No moon hung in the sky that night, obscured as it was by grey clouds. She didn't notice the door to her room open. She only looked up when she heard a voice at her side.

"당신은 공주 풍선 껌을 괜찮아요?" asked Lady Rainicorn. She was looking at the princess with concern. She'd noticed how quiet the princess was and how little time she spent with her friends this last week.

"Yes, I'm alright," replied Princess Bubblegum, giving Lady what she hoped was a reassuring smile. Lady didn't look convinced.

"당신은 마르 셀린 걱정, 당신은되지 않습니다?" asked Lady although she already knew the answer. Of course Princess Bubblegum was worried about Marceline. Princess Bubblegum had told her everything. She was her most trusted friend after all. She knew what it was like, how she always worried about Jake when he went on adventures with Finn. She had learned to take it in her stride but this was something the Princess, new to love as she was, had yet to learn.

"Yeah, I am," replied the princess, "Lady, it's been nearly two weeks. I'm just...I just..." Lady put her "arms" around the princess and Princess Bubblegum buried her face in Lady's mane.

"나는 그녀가 괜찮아 확신합니다," said Lady gently, "그녀는 내가 확신 곧 돌아올 것이다."

"Yeah, you're right," said Princess Bubblegum, wiping her eyes on her sleeve, "She's tough and I'm sure she'll be back soon. I'll bet she's making her way back here right now."

* * *

But she was not. A heavy blizzard had set in a few hours after the meeting had ended and it had not let up since. Flying would be dangerous in such weather and navigating impossible. She'd be just as likely to end up in the frozen wastes as she was to find the way back to the Candy Kingdom. She made her way down through the frozen streets, even her cold breath coming out in icy clouds. A chill wind whipped her hair back and made her cloak billow out like a sail. It whistled in the cracks in the buildings and turned the streets and alleyways into arctic wind tunnels.

Marceline ducked into a shop doorway out of the wind. It was a tailor's. She was starting to think that maybe she should get one of the winter garments that were on display. She took out her purse and looked inside. Three silver coins nestled in the velvet lining. It was no good. Her money would be better spent on accommodation for the night and even then she only had enough money for one more night. She looked up at the sky, cursing the weather gods before pulling up her hood and setting out once more into the night.

* * *

Princess Bubblegum joined Lady Rainicorn and LSP in the games room at Lady's insistence. She felt the princess needed to take her mind off things and brooding alone wouldn't do her an ounce of good.

"So, what are we going to be like, doing?" asked LSP, already looking bored. Lady Rainicorn gave the purple cloud a withering look. She was wearing her universal translator to make things easier.

"We're going to be playing a game," she said. She turned to face Princess Bubblegum, "Perhaps you'd like to suggest the first game, Princess?"

"Ummm...how about...snakes and ladders?" replied Princess Bubblegum.

"That game is like, so lame," sighed LSP. Lady Rainicorn shot her a warning glance.

"You will be able to choose the next game," she retorted, the annoyance clearly heard through her translator, "You will just have to wait your turn."

"Tch, whatever," muttered LSP, folding her arms.

They took it in turns rolling the dice to see who would go first. Lady moved her piece down the board and up a ladder. Then it was Princess Bubblegum's turn. Her piece passed the ladder and came to rest further down the first row on the board.

Finally it was LSP's turn. She rolled a two and grudgingly moved her piece two spaces along the board.  
And so the game continued. Lady was pleased to observe that the game was taking Princess Bubblegum's mind off her worries. Halfway through she asked Peppermint Butler if he could bring them in some hot chocolate which he did.

After the game was over, won by Lady Rainicorn, LSP wasted no time in choosing truth or dare as their next game.

"Okay, Princess, truth or dare?" asked LSP. Princess Bubblegum thought for a moment.

"I pick...truth," she said. Lady gulped, suddenly nervous that LSP might ask PB about Marceline.

"Have you ever been drunk?" she asked. Lady inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Once," admitted Princess Bubblegum, "At Lady's last birthday party."

"So, what happened?" asked LSP eagerly.

"Well, I don't really remember much of what happened to be honest," replied Princess Bubblegum, "Apparently I told a coat rack I loved it, nearly fell down the stairs, thankfully Lady stopped me and then I passed out on the sofa. Woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. Lady let me stay until I felt better."

"And I thought my serenading a pie was bad," chuckled LSP, "So, now it's your turn." Princess Bubblegum looked at Lady and LSP in turn.

"Lady, truth or dare?" she asked.

"Dare," said Lady immediately.

"I dare you to fly twice around the castle singing, 'I ran naked through a cabbage field," replied Princess Bubblegum. Lady made to remove her translator.

"With your translator on," giggled Princess Bubblegum. Lady blushed but flew out of the window nonetheless. Both Princess Bubblegum and LSP burst into gales of laughter when they heard Lady chanting as she flew. Tears streamed down Princess Bubblegum's cheeks and her sides shook with laughter.

A few minutes later Lady flew back in through the window. "Alright, my turn," she said, "PB, truth or dare?"

"Hey, what about me?" asked LSP.

"Later," grinned Lady, "First I need a little revenge." Princess Bubblegum looked sheepishly at Lady Rainicorn. She knew she was in hot water now. She might as well get this over with. "Dare," she said.

* * *

Marceline turned over restlessly in her sleep. Nightmares kept invading her slumber, most of which concerned Princess Bubblegum. She sat up in midair, breathing heavily. That last one had been so real. She looked out of the window. A smile crossed her face as she realised it had finally stopped snowing. Eager to be off she gathered together her possessions and headed down to the lower level. She exited the tavern and made for the edge of the city. Beyond the city walls the land was desolate and featureless. Marceline looked up at the stars for guidance before soaring up into the sky.

After two days travelling she reached the edge of the Dark Domain as the sun was setting. She smiled to herself, luck finally seemed to be set in her favour. She touched the pendant at her neck. "I'll be home soon, my Bonnie," she said.

* * *

Princess Bubblegum stood at the balcony. It was a cold wet evening and an autumnal breeze swept across the kingdom. It had now been three weeks since Marceline had left. She chewed nervously at the collar of her shirt. She stood there for a few hours, hardly moving at all.

She was just about to turn around to go back inside when something caught her eye. She turned back to the balcony. Her hands gripped the balcony rail so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Something was flying towards the balcony. No, not something, someone. As the figure drew nearer she recognised who it was.

"MARCELINE!" she cried out, her face breaking out in the widest grin ever seen in Ooo. Tears of happiness flooded down her cheeks.

"BONNIBEL!" Marceline called back. She reached the balcony and landed in front of the Princess who wasted no time in flinging her arms around her girlfriend's neck. Marceline lifted her up in her arms and Bonnibel kissed her passionately, making up for all the lost moments. Marceline laughed into the kiss, swinging the pink monarch around in her arms.  
"I missed you Bonnie," she murmured, her voice muffled by the Princess' hair.

"I missed you too, Mar-Mar," replied Bonnibel. She drew back and gazed at the Vampire Queen. She looked rather tired and her cloak was a little frayed at the hem but she had a wide grin on her face, glad to be reunited with her princess.

"Come on, you look tired, why don't we go get some sleep?" suggested Princess Bubblegum.

"I thought you'd never ask," replied Marceline.


	10. Preparing for War

Princess Bubblegum opened her eyes. She yawned sleepily, snuggling closer to the grey being beside her, looping one arm around her waist. She felt a cool hand close over her own.

"Morning Bonnie," murmured Marceline, her morning voice slightly croaky. How Princess Bubblegum loved that voice. Marceline chuckled as she felt Princess Bubblegum begin to kiss softly at the nape of her neck. She turned over, pulling the princess into an embrace, one hand tangled in her pink bubblegum hair. The princess felt warm, her head resting in the hollow between Marceline's neck and shoulder. "It's good to be home," she murmured. She chuckled, wondering why she hadn't realised it until now. The Candy Kingdom was home every bit as much as her home in her cave. "What's so funny?" whispered the princess.

"Nothing, I was just thinking," Marceline whispered back. She tugged the princess closer, nuzzling her face into the pink tresses, breathing in deeply. At least breathing still had one use; it let her breathe in the soft sweet scent of her hair. Lashes closed over deep red eyes, ready to sink back into sleep. Her eyes snapped back open as she remembered the past few weeks' events.

"Princess," she said, shaking the bubblegum girl's shoulder gently, "Wake up."

"I am awake, Marceline," she pointed out, turning to face her girlfriend, "What's the matter?"

"We have to call a meeting this afternoon," replied Marceline, "To tell everyone what's happening." Princess Bubblegum immediately snapped out of her early morning haze.

"What _is_ happening?" she asked.

"They're trying to start a war," replied Marceline, "They've got vampires hiding out in the Acutus mountains. They're going to overrun the Candy Kingdom."

"They won't," replied Princess Bubblegum, a hint of steel in her voice, "If it's a war they want, it's a war they shall get."

"But Princess, that's just what they want," protested Marceline, "They know you don't work well in the face of chaos. They know...they know your weaknesses." She told them everything she had heard at the meeting, everything she had seen.

"Marceline, I've got to defend my people," Princess Bubblegum replied defiantly.

"What about defending yourself glob dammit?" said Marceline angrily. She threw off the bedcovers and floated to the other side of the room. She hugged herself tightly as she stood with her back to the Princess. Bonnibel got up and walked across the room to where Marceline was floating. She put her arms around her, resting her head on her back. "Mar-Mar, what other way is there to stop them?" she asked, "From what you tell me there are too many to pick off with raiding parties. And there's certainly no chance of negotiation, right?" Marceline nodded. Princess Bubblegum sighed.

"I don't like the idea of war any more than you do," she said, "But it's the only way. You know I wouldn't suggest war other than as a last resort."

"I know," replied Marceline, resting her hand on the princess' arm, "But I also know it's dangerous."

"I know," murmured Princess Bubblegum. They stood like they for a few minutes. "Come on," said Princess Bubblegum, "Let's go grab some breakfast before the kitchen staff get up. I could make us some pancakes." Marceline sighed and gave in.

"Alright," she said.

Princess Bubblegum padded about the kitchen, getting ingredients out of the cupboard. She was still wearing her night things which consisted of Marceline's rock shirt and a pair of magenta shorts. The only one in the room besides them was Edith. Edith Carambar was René, the head chef's, wife and it was she who was in charge of most of the baking that went on in the kitchen. She was a short caramel bar with ginger curly candyfloss hair. She wore a blue dress decorated with white spots and a white apron.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" she asked Princess Bubblegum.

"No, we're fine, Edith, thanks for offering though," she replied. She cracked an egg into a bowl and began beating it into the mixture. Marceline casually picked a strawberry from the bowl at her side and drained it of its colour. She made to take another but Bonnibel tapped her hand with the wooden spoon. "Ah ah," she said, "Or you won't have any to go with your pancakes." Marceline pouted, sticking her tongue out at her.

At last the mixture was ready and she poured a measure of it into a frying pan which sat on the stove. The delicious smell of frying pancakes reached them, making their stomachs rumble.

"Mmm, that smells good," remarked Marceline, licking her lips. Princess Bubblegum tossed the pancake up before catching it in the frying pan.

When the pancakes were ready she put them out on a couple of plates with some syrup and strawberries. They carried them into the dining room where they sat down.

"Sorry for that outburst earlier," said Marceline as she ate, "But you do know why I acted like that, right?" she added, her voice stern.

"Yes, I do," replied Bonnibel, "And you're right. War is dangerous."

"You're right too though," admitted Marceline, "I've been thinking, there really isn't another way. But you will be careful, won't you?"

"Of course," replied Bonnibel, "Of course I will."

"I'll fight too," said Marceline, setting down her fork, "I won't let you fight alone." Princess Bubblegum laughed softly.

"We'll be in this together," she smiled, "And we won't be alone either. Finn and Jake will help us, and Lady and Flame Princess." Marceline smiled, nodding.

"It'll be a war those vampires won't soon forget," she said.

* * *

The conference room was silent as they waited for the two monarchs to speak. BMO was sitting on the table, recharging while he waited for them to start. Flame Princess was sitting next to Finn on a sheet of tinfoil. Marceline looked at them all before starting to recount her tale.

"War?" gasped LSP in surprise, "Major drama bomb alert."

"It's a little more serious than that, LSP," explained Princess Bubblegum, "It won't be an easy war to win either. The vampires are very strong and we've never had to deal with any before, let alone this many."

"But there isn't any other way," continued Marceline, "We could flush out the group hiding in the Acutus mountains but that would only trigger more, possibly larger, attacks."

"Finn," said Princess Bubblegum.

"Yes Princess," replied Finn.

"I need you to start training the citizens in swordsmanship," said Princess Bubblegum, "We already have the banana guards and a small army but it's quickly becoming clear that won't be enough.

"내 고향에 가서 우리를 돕기 위하여 종류의 사람을 얻을 것이다," said Lady Rainicorn, a look of determination on her face. Princess Bubblegum nodded.

"Thanks Lady, we'll need all the help we can get," she said. And so the meeting continued. They discussed the vampires' weaknesses and how best they could exploit them.

"We'll meet up again in four days time," concluded Princess Bubblegum, "I'll call a meeting of the Candy People in the meantime and call them to arms. Then I will send out a declaration of war to the vampires. Next time we meet, we'll be at war." BMO gulped nervously, a sweat drop appearing on the side of his LED screen.

* * *

"Bonnie," said Marceline as they stood in Princess Bubblegum's room.

"Yes, Mar-Mar," Princess Bubblegum replied as she rummaged around in a drawer.

"I need to return home to my cave," said Marceline, "Just for tonight," she added quickly when she saw the troubled look on Bonnibel's face, "I just need to get my axe-bass."

"Alright," said Princess Bubblegum, "Just don't stay away too long."

"As if I could ever stay away from you," grinned Marceline, snaking her arms around the princess, brushing her lips softly against her neck. The princess moaned quietly, leaning back against Marceline.

"My princess knows what she likes," purred Marceline, kissing her way down to the princess' collarbones. She stopped, looking up as she heard the curfew siren sound. "I'd better go," she murmured into Princess Bubblegum's neck. She sighed.

"Hurry back," she murmured.

"I'll be back before you know it," replied Marceline.

"That's what you said before," pouted Princess Bubblegum.

"Well this time I promise," said Marceline, kissing Princess Bubblegum before floating over to the window sill. She lingered there a moment, looking back at the princess before flying away from the window. Not long after Marceline had left there came running footsteps outside the princess' bedroom. The doors burst open and Michelle Nougat rushed in, followed by two gumdrop girls from the resistance. Peppermint Butler hurried in behind them, looking angry.

"What is the meaning of this?" he shouted, "You can't just come in here unannounced." Michelle ignored him. "Your majesty," she said, "I spotted the vampire leaving your quarters. Are you alright? Did she hurt you?"

"What? No, she's not our enemy," replied Princess Bubblegum, looking shocked, "She's a friend."

"Your majesty, vampires do not have friends," piped up one of the gumdrop girls.

"Yes, they are cold calculating monsters," added the other, "You saw what they did to some of your citizens."

"Yes but," began Princess Bubblegum but Michelle stopped her.

"No Princess, we cannot take any risks," she said, "We will patrol the perimeter of the castle, armed and at the ready."

"No Michelle, really, that's not necessary," protested Princess Bubblegum.

"Your Majesty, we cannot afford to take any risks," interrupted Michelle, "This vampire could be just using you. Feigning friendship to get closer to you and kill you. This is for your own safety."

"How can you even say that?" burst out Princess Bubblegum, "Marceline's my...my best friend." She didn't think now would be a good time to tell the whole truth but she had to get them to understand she could be trusted.

"How can you be so sure?" replied Michelle, "No, we will take up our posts tonight. No one shall get past our defences." With that she left, followed by the two gumdrop girls. Princess Bubblegum looked after them, aghast. She turned to Peppermint butler.

"Forgive me, princess," he said, "I tried to stop them."

"Peppermint, we've got to stop them," she cried, "Marceline's on our side. She's my...my lover." Peppermint Butler looked momentarily shocked.

"Princess, are you sure?" he uttered in disbelief.

"Yes, I'm sure," replied Princess Bubblegum, sitting down at her dressing table and resting her elbows on the table, putting her face in her hands, "We've been going out for a while. I love her. So much."

"B-But Princess, what about a son and heir," sputtered Peppermint Butler, "And your kingdom. She's hardly a model of discipline." Princess Bubblegum stood up quickly.

"How can you even say that?" she said in a low voice, "Yes, I know that if I stay with Marceline there will be no heir to the throne. And I know she can be rude and uncouth at times and her ways can be a little creepy but I love her all the same. I'm sure I'm not her usual type either but we love each other unconditionally. She sees past my flaws and I see past hers. She- she completes me." With that she fell silent. A tense atmosphere hung between them, broken only by the chatter of servants somewhere down the hallway. "I'll take my leave, Princess," said Peppermint Butler before exiting the room.

Princess Bubblegum sat down at the dressing table, putting a hand to her face and sighing. It was going to be hard to get Peppermint Butler to understand. It would take a long time but she was determined. She wouldn't let anything come between her and the Vampire Queen.


	11. Courting After Curfew

"People, people, calm down," cried Princess Bubblegum. She was standing at the lectern in the conference hall, addressing the citizens of the Candy Kingdom, or trying to. As soon as she had mentioned the word war the candy citizens had gone into a panic, muttering amongst themselves. Several near the front had exploded, causing those around them to back away in fright, close to exploding themselves.

"Please, calm down, let's not lose our heads," continued Princess Bubblegum.

"Lose our heads?" cried a gummy bear near the front. Several more citizens screamed at this, exploding and littering the floors with tatters of candy.

"You've lost your way, Bubblegum," yelled a doughnut off to the right.

"You can't protect us anymore," shouted a custard cream to her left. A cabbage hit the wall behind her head. The candy people booed and hissed, chucking more vegetables at the hapless princess. A cabbage hit her in the face and she fell backwards off the platform.

THUMP! Princess Bubblegum's eyes flickered open. She was lying on the floor, her legs tangled in the white linen sheets that had fallen over her like a tent. 'It was just a bad dream,' she thought to herself, breathing a sigh of relief. She stopped as she heard a sound at her window, a tapping sound. She scrambled out of the sheets and peered over at the balcony window. A pale skinned figure was hovering outside, her long black hair blowing in the wind and it was she who had been tapping at the pane with her long slender fingers.

"Marceline," cried Princess Bubblegum, hurrying over to the window and unlocking it. Marceline watched her in bemusement as she rushed to the balcony, looking down at the surrounding kingdom. 'Not even so much as a kiss hello,' she thought to herself. Her thoughts were interrupted as Princess Bubblegum grabbed her wrist. "Get in here," she whispered urgently, pulling the vampire in through the door.

"Whoa, what's the hurry princess," grinned Marceline, curling one arm around the princess, "We've got all night, you know?"

"Marceline," squeaked Princess Bubblegum, taking a sharp intake of breath as Marceline gave her a gentle squeeze, "There's something I've got to talk to you about." Marceline hesitated.

"Come on, talking's so boring," she said, kissing the princess under her pink jaw line. She was rewarded with a shiver. "Marceline, please, this is serious," whispered Princess Bubblegum. Marceline stopped.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Michelle Nougat of the Candy Resistance saw you leave that night," replied Princess Bubblegum, "She's convinced you're going to hurt me. I tried to tell her you were on our side but she wouldn't listen. She and the other members of the resistance are patrolling the castle grounds. I'm just glad they didn't see you." The words tumbled over themselves in a rush as she blurted out her story.

"And they definitely won't listen to you?" asked Marceline. Princess Bubblegum shook her head.

"They're far too stubborn," she replied, "This trouble has been brewing for a while now. They started off as a group of enthusiastic freedom fighters but I never thought they'd take things this far."

"I'll have to be more careful when I visit then," mused Marceline, stroking the worried Princess' hair, "Are we safe in here?" Princess Bubblegum nodded.

"The resistance don't enter the palace," she replied.

"You don't mind if I practice a little, do you?" asked Marceline, indicating her bass.

"Of course not," replied Princess Bubblegum, sitting down on the edge of the dishevelled bed. Marceline sat down cross-legged in midair, cradling her bass in her lap. She began strumming a few chords, making the Princess' heart stir in her chest. Marceline began singing, her sultry voice setting the princess aflame. The song was about someone growing up through a war. She guessed the song was about Marceline's past. That is, until she reached the next verse. She sung about something called the PLO and about two lovers courting after curfew. She had no idea who the PLO were but she guessed they must have been something from before the great mushroom war. She did, however, know who the lovers were.

Marceline drew the song to a close and Princess Bubblegum clapped.

"Thank you, thank you," said Marceline, taking a couple of bows.

"That was a beautiful song," grinned Princess Bubblegum, "I take it we were the lovers courting after curfew?"

"You got it in one, Bonnie," smiled Marceline, setting her bass down on the bed. She looked at the sheets which were half on the bed, half on the floor, "Restless sleep?"

"Kinda yeah," replied the princess, "Nightmares."

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Marceline, draping an arm around the Princess' shoulders. She leaned into the welcoming embrace.

"I was telling the candy people about the declaration of war and they freaked out," said Princess Bubblegum, "Everything started going wrong. Some of them exploded. They said I can't protect them anymore and that I was losing my way. Then they started throwing cabbages at me."

"That won't happen," soothed the Vampire Queen, "You know how to handle your peoples' ...err...explosive tendencies. I've seen you give speeches time and again, not always about happy circumstances and I've yet to see a single one blow up."

"Thanks Marceline," murmured the princess. Marceline looked at the clock on the wall. The hands read 3am. "Is the speech tomorrow?" she asked. Princess Bubblegum nodded.

"Right then," said Marceline, kicking off her boots, "We should be getting some sleep. And I'll make sure you don't have any more nightmares." She sprawled out on the mattress and waited as the Princess lay down next to her. She enfolded the smaller monarch in her arms and held her close, protectively. Princess Bubblegum reached over, switching off the bedside lamp and plunging the room into darkness. Marceline's eyes glowed a faint red in the dark, making her feel safe in knowing she was there. She snuggled against the Vampire Queen, nestling her head in under the cool grey jaw line as she drifted off to sleep.

They awoke the next morning to the sound of a voice calling in from beyond the door.

"Your Majesty, I've brought you your breakfast." It was Edith.

"Quick Marceline, hide," gasped the Princess. Marceline looked around, searching frantically for a place to hide. She dove under the bed as the door opened and Edith came in, wheeling a trolley on which rested a steaming plate of blueberry pancakes, a glass of orange juice and a bowl of cereal.

"I figured you could do with a big breakfast," said Edith kindly, "Before you make your speech."

"Thanks Edith," replied Princess Bubblegum.

"Princess, are you feeling alright?" asked Edith, "You're as white as a sheet."

"I'm fine, Edith," replied Princess Bubblegum, "Really."

"Very well, Princess," conceded Edith, "Just don't stress out too much about the speech. I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Thanks Edith," replied Princess Bubblegum as Edith left, closing the door behind her.  
Marceline emerged from underneath the bed, brushing dust off her clothes.

"Geez Bonnie, you really need to dust under there once in a while," she said. Princess Bubblegum smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Mar-Mar," she replied.

"I was thinking, Princess," said Marceline, "About last night, when you told me about the resistance. It's too dangerous for me to stay here with you, isn't it?"

"Until we get them to see sense, yes," replied Princess Bubblegum sadly.

"Then we'll live as we are in the song, courting after the curfew," murmured Marceline, "I can outsmart them at night easily. I'll blend in with the shadows." The sun had not yet fully risen so Marceline decided to leave then and there. "I'll see you tonight," she said, kissing Princess Bubblegum before heading for the window.

"Be careful," Princess Bubblegum called after her.

"Aren't I always?" laughed Marceline as she flew up away into the sky. Princess Bubblegum ran out onto the balcony and looked up, watching the rapidly fading speck that was Marceline.

* * *

That afternoon Princess Bubblegum called a meeting of all the Candy People in the conference hall.

"People of the Candy Kingdom, over the past couple of months we have all been aware of a killer terrorizing our nation," she began, "It saddens me that anyone would threaten us with such violence, particularly unprovoked. I have taken every effort to uncover the identity of the killer. Sadly the truth is more terrible than we feared. The killer is not one, but many."

"Who are the killers?" interrupted a coffee cream.  
"They are vampires from the Dark Domain," replied Princess Bubblegum. A chorus of gasps rose up from the gathering, "A group of them are hiding out in the Acutus Mountains as we speak."

"Then we must send out a raiding party and stop them," snarled a burly vanilla muffin.

"There are far too many for that," explained Princess Bubblegum, "According to the scouting party I sent out three and a half weeks ago there are well over a thousand of them." She didn't mention Marceline for now the Candy People were more prejudiced against vampires than ever.

"Then what shall we do?" asked a gummy bear.

"I regret to say it, but we must go to war," replied Princess Bubblegum. There was a shocked silence. There had not been a war in the Candy Kingdom for over two centuries. "You know I would not suggest war if it wasn't as a last resort," she continued, "I've thought long and hard over this."

"But we have only a small army," protested a jellybean, climbing up on the shoulder of a cupcake to make himself heard.

"Which is why we will be calling upon all of you to help. Every able-bodied candy person must help defend the Candy Kingdom. We've lived on this land for generations. It's our home," continued Princess Bubblegum, a note of steel present in her voice, "Finn will be teaching you all swordsmanship down in the square on a daily basis. He, Jake, Lady and Flame Princess have all agreed to fight alongside us. We won't be alone." A wave of murmuring swept through the hall.

"Princess Bubblegum's right," said Mr. Cupcake, "We've defended this kingdom against the Lich king, the ice king and the Earl of Lemongrab. We can't give up now. I'll join the fight."

"And me," said a voice near the front, "It was the marshmallow who had been the first witness of the killings, "We have to put a stop to all this and if war's the only way then so be it."

"I'll fight too," said a large heavyset doughnut. He turned to the crowds of candy people behind him, "We can do this. It's about time we repaid Princess Bubblegum for all the times she's saved us." There was a murmur of agreement. Princess Bubblegum looked over at Finn who gave her a double thumbs up. "Very well," she said, "The decision has been reached. I will send a declaration of war to the Dark Domain. Report to the main square for your first lesson." She turned to Officer Butterscotch who stood off to her left. "Officer Butterscotch," she continued, "I'm appointing you as general of the east Candy Kingdom Battalion, Finn, you are general of the west."

"Cool," grinned Finn, "Those vampires are as good as gone." With that the citizens filed out of the hall along with Finn and Jake. Only Lady Rainicorn remained. Princess Bubblegum picked up a scroll from the lectern and turned to Lady.

"Lady, I need you to take this declaration of war to the Dark Domain," she said, "I'm sorry to have to ask you to do this. Please be careful." Lady smiled.

"공주를 걱정하지 마십시오. 나는 잘 될 것입니다," she replied, assuring the Princess she'd be fine. She took the scroll from Princess Bubblegum before soaring out through the open window near the top of the Conference Hall. With her gone Princess Bubblegum felt more alone than ever. She stood in the empty Conference Hall for several minutes before departing for her study to work out the battle plan she would show to the others the following night.


	12. Battle Plans

Marceline approached the walls of the Candy Kingdom. She heard the chink of hammers on red hot iron and the chatter of the Candy people from inside the foundry. Smoke belched from the tall chimney, filling the air with the smell of molten metal. She sank into the shadows as she spotted the beam of a torch carried by one of the night-watchmen on the rampart. She pulled the hood of her cloak up over her head. "Geez, and I thought all this stopped after the middle ages," she muttered to herself. She heard the sound of footsteps getting nearer on the rampart above. The footsteps came to a halt and the beam of light swung over her head, scanning the area for intruders. When it found none the footsteps started up again, gradually fading away.

Once she was certain the watchman had left she morphed into a small lizard, climbing up over the rough stone walls. She reached the top, her head jerking from side to side as she surveyed her surroundings. Torches burned in brackets on the tops of the battlements, casting orange pools of light on the rampart. Marceline crawled over to the other side of the rampart where she morphed into a bat. She leapt off the stone wall, closing her wings and dropping into a steep dive. She pulled up at the last minute, landing in one of the candyfloss trees that stood in the central plaza. From in amongst the cottony leaves she surveyed the palace itself. She could just make out the members of the candy resistance standing around the palace. Each one was armed with a musket and occasionally the metal muzzle of one would glint in the firelight. She surveyed them for several more minutes, watching their movements carefully. She laughed to herself. Although they were full of the confident gung-ho attitude that was common among vigilantes and freedom fighters they had none of their skill. They held their muskets as though they were not sure what to do with them and their movements were erratic at best. She stopped, reminding herself that an inexperienced gunman could be every bit as dangerous as an experienced one.

She left her hiding place, keeping to the shadows where she could. She made her way up past the smaller towers and parapets, ghosting up past the sloping roofs. Thankfully it was a moonless light and she made it to the Princess' balcony. She perched on the railings before flapping down onto the balcony floor. Only then did she regain her true form. She tapped at the glass.

Princess Bubblegum, who up until then had been seated at a desk, got up and opened the balcony door, letting the Vampire Queen in. She hugged her, planting a soft kiss on her lips. Marceline returned the embrace, gazing into her verdant green eyes. She was smiling but her eyes looked tired. She rested her head gratefully against Marceline's chest. Marceline ran her fingers through her pink tresses. "You're not sleeping much, are you?" she asked although she already knew the answer. The princess shook her head.

"I've been trying to come up with a suitable battle plan," she explained.

"Any luck?" asked Marceline. She shook her head again.

"I've tried a few as you can see," she replied, indicating the full wastepaper bin, "But nothing's working."

"Here, why don't you let me give you a hand?" offered Marceline, floating next to the desk.

"Thanks Marcy," replied Princess Bubblegum, "You have no idea what music that is to my ears."

"Not a problem, Bonnie," grinned Marceline, "Just get some sleep when we're done, ok?" The princess nodded as she sat down at the desk.

"How many are there in your army now?" asked Marceline.

"A little over a thousand," replied the Princess, "We're severely outnumbered, Marceline."

"Don't worry," said Marceline, "What we lack in numbers we'll make up for in sheer cunning. And baby, we can be cunning." She gave a sly smile, displaying her fangs.

"Marceline, please be serious," sighed Princess Bubblegum. Marceline frowned.

"Bonnibel, I just had to sneak past armed vigilantes and watchmen on patrol," she said, "If that isn't serious then I don't know what is." She sighed. "Come on, you're tired," she continued, "Maybe you should get some sleep." Princess Bubblegum shook her head.

"No, no, I need to get this done," she said determinedly. They returned their attention to the map of the Candy Kingdom laid out before them. Marceline studied the map carefully.

"Well, the first thing we need to do is have the ramparts lined with archers, ready to shoot down any aerial attacks," she said, drawing some large dots on the ramparts to mark where the archers were to be placed.

"Marceline, how...how do you kill a vampire?" asked Princess Bubblegum.

"Geez Princess, you're standing on the brink of war and you're only asking this now?!" she cried in disbelief.

"It's just, there was so much going on," replied Princess Bubblegum, "And we've never had to fight immortal enemies before now. And I felt bad about asking you seeing as you are one."

"Alright, well, it's simpler than you might think," said Marceline, "That doesn't mean it'll be easy," she added quickly.

"I'd guessed that," replied Princess Bubblegum.

"Yeah, well, the easiest way is a wooden stake to the heart," explained Marceline, "Or pouring holy water on them. That reminds me, Princess, does you gateway have murder holes?"

"Yes, it does," replied Princess Bubblegum.

"Right, we'll place some soldiers there with buckets of holy water," continued Marceline, "It'll be a lot more effective than pouring burning pitch on them."

"And what happens if they transform?" asked Princess Bubblegum, "Will the weaknesses still work the same way?" Marceline nodded.

"If we're to win this war you're going to have to come up with some new weapons," she said, "Try and think of ways we can fire stakes as projectiles. Bows and arrows are the obvious solution but if they wear armour that will make things more difficult."

"Right, I'll work on that," said Princess Bubblegum.

"Next we have to decide how we will place your foot soldiers," continued Marceline, "We don't know where the main attack will come from. We can only assume that they will come from either the Acutus Mountains or from the north. You'd be best setting up sentries within a five mile radius to keep watch." She added the positions to the battle plan.

"So until I receive word of their direction, evenly space out my troops on the four points of the compass?" replied Princess Bubblegum.

"Exactly," said Marceline, "And that only leaves one question. Where do you fit into all this?"

"I'll be leading the Central Candy Kingdom Battalion," replied Princess Bubblegum, "Lady will accompany me as my steed."

"Very well," conceded Marceline, "Just be careful."

"I will," replied Princess Bubblegum, "I promise." She was silent for a few moments. "Crossbows," she suddenly blurted out.

"What?" replied Marceline in confusion, thinking the lateness of the hour at finally got to the pink monarch.

"Crossbows," Princess Bubblegum repeated, "Crossbows. They're a lot more powerful than a bow and arrow and we can fit stakes to them just as easily. And rifles. We've already got all the weapons at our fingertips; we just need to modify them."

"Of course," gasped Marceline, "And you could have glass flasks full of holy water that your soldiers could carry on their belts ready to be thrown."

"Exactly," grinned Princess Bubblegum, scrawling down notes on a sheet of paper.

"Eureka!" cried Marceline.

"Your-what?" asked Princess Bubblegum. Marceline just laughed.

"It was from before you were born, my love," she said, "Way before."

* * *

The next day, after Marceline had left, Princess Bubblegum presented the battle plan to Finn and Officer Butterscotch.

"So, this is the bottle plan?" said Officer Butterscotch, scanning the large map that was spread out on the table before them. Princess Bubblegum nodded.

"It licks easy enough to follow," he continued. Finn nodded.

"Yeah, we can pull this off no problem," he added, "This will be a piece of cake."

"I would ask you nit to bring my auntie into this," said Officer Butterscotch tartly.

"Oops, sorry Officer," replied Finn sheepishly, "Either way, this looks great, we'll run this past the troops right away." Officer Butterscotch nodded in agreement.

Next the Princess made her way down to the foundry. It was a large building dominated by a tall stone furnace. Four candy people stood on platforms at the top, shovelling in iron ore. Two larger groups stood at either side, pumping large wooden bellows that kept the fires inside the furnace going. Several others rested from their turn at the bellows, ready to take them up again when the current group began to tire. The blacksmith, Elidyr, was a squat cinnamon swirl wearing a black apron covered in burns.

"Morning Princess," he said jovially, "What brings you down here?"

"Elidyr," replied Princess Bubblegum, "I need you to design some new weapons." Elidyr stroked his moustache.

"What kind of weapons did you have in mind?" he asked.

"I need you to modify existing types of projectile weapons, crossbows, rifles and the like, so that they can take wooden stakes as ammo." Elidyr thought for a moment.

"That shouldn't be too difficult," he said at length, "The crossbows really won't need much change if any, except maybe a wider area to hold the stake. The rifles might be a little more tricky but I'll see what I can do. Oh, that reminds me," he continued, crossing the room to a large chest that stood against the wall, "We finished your armour this morning. I was going to have it sent up to the palace but seeing as you're here, perhaps you'd like to take it with you."

"Thank you, Elidyr," replied Princess Bubblegum, "I'll wear it with pride."

"We're working on Lady Rainicorn's at the moment," continued Elidyr, "We should have it ready this time tomorrow. Shall I have it sent up to the palace?"

"If you could, Elidyr," replied Princess Bubblegum, taking the armour from the blacksmith. She returned to the palace to await Marceline's return.

* * *

It was almost midnight before she heard the familiar tapping sound at the balcony door. She let the Vampire Queen in and was almost immediately swept up in her arms. She giggled as the vampire peppered her chin and lips with soft kisses.

"This courting after curfew thing is driving me nuts, Bonnie," she growled, "This war had better be over soon."

"You know I'd have you here all the time if I could," murmured Princess Bubblegum, cupping Marceline's chin in her hands and kissing her. She wound her legs around Marceline's waist and Marceline growled affectionately, kissing the princess lovingly. "Glob, why did I have to fall for a princess," she said jokingly. Princess Bubblegum laughed softly between kisses.

"Because I'm hot and sexy?" she teased.

"Hmmm...maybe," Marceline teased right back. Princess Bubblegum gasped as she felt Marceline's tongue run gently along her bottom lip. She hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth, letting Marceline's tongue meet her own. She moaned softly as Marceline's tongue teased hers, drawing it out of its hiding place. The kiss sent pleasant shivers running along the length of her spine and she moaned again as she felt Marceline's hand travel down her back.

They drew back, Princess Bubblegum with a gasp from lack of air, and gazed at one another.

"Was that your first time?" asked Marceline, grinning at the Princess in her arms, "At making out I mean."

"Was it that obvious?" Princess Bubblegum replied sheepishly. Marceline chuckled softly.

"Nah, you were good," grinned Marceline, "I bet you're even better-."

"Don't say it," said Princess Bubblegum with a warning look. This only caused Marceline to laugh harder.

"I was going to say during the day," she chuckled, "Yikes Bonnie, you've been hanging around me for too long. Your mind's in the gutter." Princess Bubblegum pouted. Marceline leaned in closer.

"I bet you are anyway," she whispered in her ear.

"Marcy!" squeaked Princess Bubblegum, her face turning a deep shade of red. Marceline laughed gently.

"Such a sensitive little thing, aren't you?" she crooned.

"I'm not little," protested Princess Bubblegum.

"Well, you're not as tall as me," teased Marceline, "I still love you though." She said the last sentence softly, without any trace of teasing.

"I love you too," Princess Bubblegum murmured, "It sucks that we've only got a little time to spend together. I can't wait for this war to be over."

"Mmm, same here," Marceline murmured in response. The war had been weighing heavily on her mind. She knew there was nothing she could do to change Bonnie's mind about fighting in it but that didn't stop her worrying for the pink monarch's safety.

"I'll see you tomorrow," said Marceline as she perched on the balcony in her bat form.

"See you tomorrow," replied Princess Bubblegum, bending down and kissing the bat on the top of her head. Marceline grinned before flapping away from the balcony and into the night. Princess Bubblegum watched her go before returning to her room and flopping down on her bed with a sigh. The war just couldn't end quick enough.


	13. Trapped

It was several days before Lady Rainicorn returned. She looked tired and there were several knots in her mane. She coiled herself up next to the fire while Princess Bubblegum made her a cup of tea.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"이 설정된다," Lady replied, "뱀파이어 전쟁의 우리의 선언을 받아 들였다." Princess Bubblegum swallowed nervously. She knew their declaration of war would be accepted but it still frightened her that her kingdom was now at war. This was the first, and she prayed the last, war she'd had to fight in.

"Right, how long do you think it will take them to get here?" she asked.

"마르 셀린 한 달에 대해, 자신의 번호에 대한 말이 맞다면. 어쩌면 두 가지," replied Lady. A month or two. The war was set to begin in the middle of November at the earliest.

Princess Bubblegum handed the cup of tea to Lady Rainicorn. She sipped at it half-heartedly. "What's the matter?" asked Princess Bubblegum, putting her hand on Lady's forehead, "Are you feeling okay?" Lady shook her head. She spoke haltingly, trying to find the right words.

"This is...the first battle...you have fought in," she said, "I am...scared...for you. There is much danger." Princess Bubblegum looked at her sadly.

"I know," she replied, "I'm scared too. And I feel terrible for dragging you into this."

"No, Princess," said Lady in surprise, "I go willingly. I will not...let you fight by yourself." The princess smiled.

"Thanks Lady," she replied. Lady smiled. She finished the rest of the tea.

"이제 집에 갈거야," she said, bidding the princess goodnight, "잘자 공주."

"Goodnight Lady," Princess Bubblegum replied. Lady got up and flew out through the open window. The princess watched her go, a mixture of fear and sadness knotting in her stomach. She stood at the balcony, looking up at the pale moon that hung in the deep velvet of the night sky. She leant on the railings, looking out over the Candy Kingdom. The Candy resistance were patrolling the walkways around the palace, muskets shining in the light of the torches. The light from the foundry could be seen where the blacksmiths were still hard at work, making more armour to cater for the extra soldiers. An hour slipped by as she continued to look. Her eyelids began to droop and the moon became indistinct and hazy. She felt weightless and she was flying down over the houses, close enough to see the individual lights coming from the windows. She soared back up into the sky, flying towards the stars. They were almost close enough to touch.

Princess Bubblegum opened her eyes sleepily. She smiled, trying to recapture the last few moments of the dream. She sat up as she realised she was lying in bed with the deep pink covers pulled up around her. How had she got there? The curtains were drawn over the balcony windows and the little light that made it through was a golden yellow. She looked around the room and her gaze came to rest on the armchair next to her bed. Marceline was curled up with her hands beneath her head, floating a few inches above it. She opened one deep red eye as she felt the Princess' gaze.

"Morning, Bonnie," she said sleepily. She sat up and stretched, yawning widely.

"Morning, Mar-Mar," Bonnibel replied, "When did you get here?"

"At about two in the morning," said Marceline, "I found you nodding off at the balcony. Don't you know that's what beds are for?" She chuckled. Bonnibel laughed.

"Well, I haven't been sleeping all that well for obvious reasons," she replied.

"Yeah, me neither," said Marceline, "Has Lady got back yet?"

"Yeah, she got back last night," replied Bonnibel, "They've accepted the declaration. Lady reckons they'll reach the Candy Kingdom in a month or two." Marceline drummed her fingers nervously on the arm of the chair. "What are you still doing here?" continued Bonnibel, "It's morning and the servants are," she looked at the clock, "Flip, they're already awake. Did you bring your day clothes?"

"Yeah," replied Marceline, pulling her gloves out of her pocket. She picked up her hat before leaning over to kiss Princess Bubblegum. She made her way over to the balcony. "I'll see you later, Bonnie," she said.

"See you Mar-Mar," replied Bonnibel, "Will you be coming back tonight?"

"Of course," she replied with a grin. She drew back the curtains and leapt up onto the balcony railings. She soared up away from the balcony, waving back to the Princess who had made her way over to the balcony.

Suddenly the air around them seemed to explode. Marceline looked around sharply. A particularly enthusiastic member of the candy resistance was standing on the rampart below, musket loaded and locked on Marceline. Another shot was fired, narrowly missing the Vampire Queen. As the sound of the shot echoed around the kingdom the kingdom below became a swarm of activity. More Candy Resistance fighters joined the first, loading their muskets.

"Marceline, get out of there," yelled Princess Bubblegum. Marceline soared towards the edge of the kingdom and was met by a hail of arrows. She doubled back, dodging the shots from below that were growing more numerous. Her ears were ringing from the sound of the gunfire and everywhere she looked on the ground more candy people were amassing, as numerous as ants around an anthill. On a sudden impulse she darted back towards the open balcony, dashing past Princess Bubblegum.

"She's in the castle," a startled voice from below shouted.

"She's after the Princess," yelled another.

Princess Bubblegum paled noticeably. Already she could hear shouts echoing up from the lower levels of the palace. Marceline looked around, wide eyed. Everything seemed like a whirlwind of confusion and she couldn't think what to do next, where to go. She felt trapped. "Hide, somewhere," she heard the Princess say.

"Where?" she cried. But Princess Bubblegum didn't know. Where was safe?  
The door burst open and two members of the Candy Resistance led by Michelle Nougat stood in the doorway.

"Surrender, vampire," she yelled. The two candy resistance members cocked their rifles, aiming them at Marceline. One of them was shaking visibly as she aimed the weapon at the Vampire Queen.

"No," cried Princess Bubblegum, "Leave her alone."

"But Princess," replied Michelle, "She is a vampire. She can't be trusted."

"That's not true," yelled Princess Bubblegum. Marceline looked at the three resistance fighters. She looked back over at the window.

"Don't even think about it," said Michelle coldly.

"Move and I fire," shouted one of the resistance fighters. Marceline heard the click of the hammer on the rifle. She had to get out of here. She leapt up, a puff of smoke obscuring her form. The air exploded as the shot was fired.

"NO!" yelled Princess Bubblegum. Her throat felt constricted. After the shot was fired the air was silent.

Suddenly something moved in the cloud of smoke. Princess Bubblegum's heart leapt as she recognised the tiny form for what it was. The bat made for the door, flying over the frightened candy resistance fighters before they had a chance to react. They recovered a moment later and gave chase, footsteps echoing down the corridors.

"Stay in your room, Princess," ordered Michelle before following the other two down the corridor.

"Fat chance of that," muttered Princess Bubblegum once the footsteps faded away. She ran out into the corridor and down towards the central staircase. She searched all the dark corners she could find but still there was no sign of Marceline. She spotted Peppermint Butler who was looking flustered, an empty tray in one hand. Broken glass littered the floor at his feet, presumably remains of whatever he had been carrying only moments before. Princess Bubblegum hurried over to him.

"Peppermint, did you see a bat fly past here?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yes, it flew up that way," he replied, pointing to the northern staircase, "It was heading towards the tower. Three members of the resistance were chasing it." Princess Bubblegum ran towards the staircase, "Princess, what's going on?" Peppermint Butler called after her.

"There's no time to explain," she called back over her shoulder as she sprinted up the stairs.

She advanced along the corridors, listening out for the shouts of the Candy Resistance. She continued searching, checking in any rooms where the doors had been left ajar. Her heart felt like it was in her mouth as she continued to search in vain.

She heard voices coming from the end of the corridor and ducked into an empty room, closing the door behind her. She peered through the crack, waiting as the footsteps drew nearer.

"She must've escaped," said one voice.

"Either that or she's hiding," added another. Princess Bubblegum could have leapt for joy would it not have given away her position.

"She can't hide forever," said Michelle. The footsteps gradually died down.

Once she was certain they were gone Princess Bubblegum slipped out of her hiding place and made her way down the corridor in the direction the Candy Resistance had just come from. This particular corridor led to the northernmost tower. Eventually she reached the end of the corridor and pushed open the heavy wooden door. The northernmost tower, commonly referred to as the north wing, consisted of a large dusty room with a high ceiling that sloped upwards into a point. Cobwebs hung from the rafters and the room itself was completely devoid of furniture. A few birds had made their nests far up in the ceiling and the scratching of mice could be heard coming from the farthest corners of the room.

"Marceline," said Princess Bubblegum, looking around the room. Something stirred in the shadows. "Marceline, are you there?"

"Bonnie, up here," said a voice above her head. Princess Bubblegum looked up. Perched up on one of the rafters was the Vampire Queen herself. Her bright blue eyes were wide with fright and she looked as though she was shivering. She flew down towards the princess and landed on her shoulder. She nuzzled in close to her neck. Princess Bubblegum lifted the bat off her shoulders and held her close. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, thank goodness their aim is terrible," replied Marceline, laughing nervously. Princess Bubblegum kissed the bat on the top of her head.

"I'm so glad you're safe," she whispered. Marceline felt her tears on her fur.

"Hey, don't cry, I'm alright aren't I?" she grinned, once more resuming her usual confident air.

"Mmhmm," whimpered the Princess, burying her face in the bat's soft fur.

"You've got to find a way to get me out of here," said Marceline matter-of-factly, "Come on, Princess, no more tears. Everything's going to be fine." Princess Bubblegum nodded.

"I'll take you back to my room," she said, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand, "Then I'll get a message to Finn and Jake. Maybe they can think of something."

"Sounds like a plan," replied Marceline, "How are you going to get me back to your room? Those resistance fighters are bound to be searching the rest of the palace." Princess Bubblegum thought for a moment.

"Well, if you promise you won't try anything, you could-," she began, gesturing to her nightshirt. Marceline's navy fur hid her blush.

"What? You mean ride in there?" she asked, pointing to her nightshirt, "I dunno, Princess, it already seems pretty full in there?" She sniggered, earning a sharp look from the Princess. "Alright, alright," she laughed, "I won't say any more."

Once Marceline was safely hidden the Princess made her way out of the tower and down the corridor. She crept past two resistance fighters who were searching in and around the grand staircase. Finally she reached her room and went inside, closing the door behind her.

"Okay, we're here," she said, "You can come out now."

"Don't wanna," came the muffled reply, "It's cosy in here." She felt a fluffy head nuzzle her and she blushed bright red.

"Marceline, get out of there," she squeaked. Marceline laughed as she flapped out of her hiding place and shifted back to her own form.

"Princess, you've got to loosen up a bit," she grinned.

"You're awfully calm considering what just happened," replied Princess Bubblegum.

"Well, it's in the past now," said Marceline, "I managed to evade them after all. Plus it's not every day you get to ride around in your girlfriend's shirt." Princess Bubblegum blushed at this.

"And besides," continued Marceline, "Now we can get a message to Finn and Jake and they'll be able to help me escape."

"I hope so," said Princess Bubblegum, crossing the room to her desk. She pulled out a sheet of paper and hastily scribbled a note to the two adventurers. She crossed the room to a balcony where she whistled out a few notes. A small bird with blue tipped wings alighted on the railings.

"I need you to take this to Finn and Jake at the tree fort," explained Princess Bubblegum, tying the note to the bird's leg. It squawked once before soaring away from the balcony, rapidly becoming a fading speck on the horizon.

Princess Bubblegum sat down on the bed next to Marceline. "And now we wait," she said.

"Everything _will_ be alright, you know," said Marceline reassuringly. Princess Bubblegum smiled, leaning her head on Marceline's shoulder.

"I hope you're right," she said.


	14. Escape

Finn and Jake arrived a couple of days later. They arrived at the palace gates where they were met by two banana guards.

"State your names and business here," said one of them, holding up his spear.

"Finn and Jake," said Finn, gesturing to himself and Jake in turn, "We're here to see the Princess."

"Is she expecting you?" asked the banana guard.

"Yes," replied Finn, "We received a message yesterday by messengerbird."

"Very well, you may enter," said the banana guard, lowering his spear. He escorted them to the palace doors where they were met by Peppermint Butler. Princess Bubblegum had since explained their situation to him and he had agreed to help them.

"Finn, Jake, the Princess is waiting for you both in the conference room," he said. He didn't mention Marceline as they were still in earshot of the banana guard.

"Hey Jake," said Finn as they walked behind the peppermint candy.

"Yeah?" replied Jake.

"Have you noticed something?" asked Finn, "Everyone seems so...I don't know, efficient today. Almost robotic, it's a little spooky, isn't it?"

"People get like this during wars," explained Jake, "They've all got a lot on their minds. It was the same for dad when he was fighting in the Rainicorn-dog wars. All the other soldiers in the trenches were exactly the same. They only had one thing on their minds and that was staying alive." Finn looked pensive for a moment. It wasn't very often that Jake spoke seriously so when he did he always knew something was deeply wrong. Still being young, he had grown up with a rather romanticised idea of war but the more he looked around him, the more he saw it for what it really was, a time of hardship and strife.

They reached the conference room and opened the door, stepping inside. Princess Bubblegum and Marceline were waiting for them up on the dais.

"Princess, what's happened?" asked Finn, "We got your note. You said it was urgent."

"And indeed it is," replied Princess Bubblegum, "You'd better take a seat. It's a rather long story." She had decided it was time to tell the two boys everything that had gone on, starting with the kiss.

"So Marcy has been visiting me every night," concluded Princess Bubblegum, "But a couple of nights ago she got here while I was sleeping and waited with me until morning. She tried to leave but the Resistance spotted her and tried to kill her."

"And you need us to help you get Marcy out of the castle?" asked Jake.

"You and Marcy are going out?" asked Finn.

"Focus dude," said Jake, clicking his fingers in front of Finn's face, trying to snap him out of his daze.

"Yes, in response to both your questions," replied Princess Bubblegum, "We've tried disguises but Marceline's...too recognisable."

"These stick out like a sore thumb," added Marceline, indicating her fangs.

"So that's why we need your help," continued Princess Bubblegum.

"Couldn't you just fly out of here?" asked Jake. Marceline shook her head.

"Haven't you noticed the distinct lack of birds out there?" she asked, "They're shooting anything that flies with the exception of Bonnie's messengerbirds."

"Are there any other entrances to the kingdom?" asked Finn.

"There's the Northern, Eastern and Western entrances but they're every bit as heavily guarded as the main entrance," explained Princess Bubblegum. Finn thought for a moment.

"Those are all above ground," he said, thinking aloud, "But what about underground?"

"Hmm...only the sewers," replied Princess Bubblegum, "And the old disused subway. But that's been opened up and is being used to send out the sentries and keep them fed whilst on duty."

"Looks like it's the sewers then," said Jake, "How far outside the palace do they go?"

"They only reach just beyond the palace walls," replied Princess Bubblegum.

"But from what I can see, it's our only option," reasoned Jake, "Where's the entrance?"

"There's an entrance in the courtyard outside the kitchen area," replied Princess Bubblegum, "Wait a minute, I've got it. The kitchen staff, René, Edith, Mimi and Yvette. They already know about Marceline. We could get them to keep a look out."

"And Eclair," said Finn suddenly.

"What? That wacky old coot who lives outside the kingdom walls?" asked Jake in disbelief, "Where does he fit into all this?"

"He doesn't live that far beyond the kingdom," explained Finn, "Don't you remember we did an errand for him not that long ago?"

"You mean when we got rid of that why wolf that was worrying his sheep?" replied Jake.

"Exactly, remember how he said that he owes us one?" Finn continued confidently, "Well, he can owe us now by letting Marceline use his house as first base. Then she can go on from there."

"Oh, I get it," said Jake, "Seems like we've got our plan sorted out." Princess Bubblegum looked at Marceline and smiled. She smiled back.

"When do we put this plan of yours into action?" asked Marceline.

"Tonight," replied Finn.

* * *

"So you want us to keep a look out?" asked René after they had explained their plan to him and rest of the kitchen staff.

"That's right," replied Princess Bubblegum, "And I shall need one of you to remain at the entrance to the sewer in case we get into any difficulties."

"I will do that," volunteered Mimi.

"Thank you, Mimi," said Princess Bubblegum.

Mimi followed them out into the courtyard. The entrance to the sewers was a circular drain covered by a grill. It took the efforts of Finn, Jake and Mimi to shift it over to one side. They peered down into the murky depths. They could hear the steady dripping of water from the stone ceilings and the sound of running water from further down the tunnel. Marceline floated down first followed by Finn, then Jake and lastly, Princess Bubblegum.

The air inside the sewer was cold and pungent and almost seemed to cling to them like a second skin.

"Is it any wonder this place was our last resort," said Jake, his paws covering his nose as he spoke.

"At least because of the smell none of the citizens will come down here," replied Princess Bubblegum, "That and the rumours of a sewer gator."

"Sewer gator?" said Jake nervously. Princess Bubblegum and Marceline laughed.

"Don't worry, they're just rumours," replied Princess Bubblegum, "Nothing bigger than a rat lives down here."

"I hope you're right," muttered Jake as they continued down the winding passage.

Finn held the burning torch above his head, squinting down the tunnel ahead of them.

"I think I can see light," he said, pointing down the tunnel.

They reached the end of the tunnel and found Finn to be right. The light he had seen was moonlight shining off the moat, reflected a few paces down the tunnel. The fresh air of the outside world greeted them and they breathed in deeply, gratefully. Princess Bubblegum looked at Marceline sadly. "I guess this is...goodbye," she said slowly.

"Not forever though Bonnie," replied Marceline, taking the Princess' hands in hers. She tugged Bonnibel into a comforting embrace. Princess Bubblegum rested her head on Marceline's shoulder, not wanting the embrace to end.

Marceline drew back and kissed Princess Bubblegum gently.

"We'd better get moving soon," said Finn solemnly, putting one hand on Marceline's shoulder, "It'll be daylight in a few hours." Marceline nodded.

"I'll see you soon, Bonnie," she said softly, "I promise." Marceline's hands slipped from the Princess' grasp and she floated towards the mouth of the sewer.

"I'll go back to the palace with the Princess," said Jake. He knew that right now the last thing she needed was to return to the palace alone. Finn nodded, understanding Jake's reasoning.

"Come on, Marce," he said, "Let's go." Marceline nodded and followed him, unusually quiet and subdued. She glanced back at Princess Bubblegum one last time before she disappeared from view.

"Come on Princess," said Jake, "We'd better get moving too." The princess said nothing. Her lower lip was trembling as she fought back the sobs that kept rising in her throat. Her shoulders shook from the effort of keeping them silenced.

"You will see her again soon," said Jake comfortingly, "I've got a feeling you will. And I haven't been wrong yet. Call it a dog's sixth sense." Princess Bubblegum smiled a little at this.

"That's more like it," continued Jake, "Tell ya what, how about I give you a lift back?"

"Thanks Jake," replied Princess Bubblegum, climbing up onto Jake's back. He began to head back along the tunnel towards the palace.

"Have the sentries spotted anything yet?" asked Jake, hoping to change the subject.

"Nothing yet," replied Princess Bubblegum. Her answer was short and half-hearted and Jake knew he would have to try harder if he wanted to keep her talking. Along the course of the journey he asked her about a great many things. Anything to keep the princess talking and her mind occupied.

At last they reached the courtyard entrance where Mimi was waiting for them.  
"Did everything go according to plan?" she asked. Princess Bubblegum nodded.

"You'd better get Madame Edith to escort the Princess to her room," Jake told Mimi in an undertone, "She's missing Marceline terribly and right now I think the last thing she needs is to be alone. I'd stay but I've got to go back down and wait for Finn to come back."

"Ah, I understand," replied Mimi, "I'll send for Edith right away."

* * *

Marceline followed Finn, in the form of a lizard, across the grassland, away from the kingdom walls. The grass around her swayed, undulating in the gentle breeze. Already the deep navy sky was becoming tinted with pink on the horizons and the stars were beginning to fade.

"Are you alright, Marce?" asked Finn, "You've been really quiet."

"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Marceline.

"This war won't go on long, you know?" said Finn, trying to lighten the atmosphere, "The Candy People learned a lot quicker than I expected them too. I think we stand a real chance."

"That's good to hear," replied Marceline but Finn could still detect the note of sadness in her feigned cheerfulness.

"You're worried about PB, aren't you?" he asked. Marceline nodded, resuming her humanoid form as they crested the next hill.

"I know as their ruler she has to go into battle," she conceded, "But I wish she didn't."

"She'll be fine though," replied Finn, "She's a lot stronger than she looks."

"But it's vampires she's going up against, Finn, vampires," cried Marceline, "I've fought against them before and you saw what happened to me."

"But she's got those weapons on her side," replied Finn, "Elidyr finished them a little while back, "Crossbows and rifles that fire wooden stakes and small grenades that have holy water inside them that will be scattered far and wide when they detonate."

"That's something I suppose," muttered Marceline, "I'm still worried though."

"I know," said Finn, "So am I."

They reached Éclair's house and knocked on the wooden door. The door opened and they were met by an Éclair with a white moustache and spectacles.

"Oh, it's you Finn," he said, "No Jake with you today?"

"No, he's back at the Candy Kingdom," replied Finn.

"Aah, bad business there," sighed Éclair, shaking his head, "A very bad business." He jumped in fright when he caught sight of Marceline hovering near Finn.

"Gadzooks!" he cried, "It's one of them! Get inside! Quick, boy!"

"No, no, Éclair, it's alright," replied Finn, "Marceline's with me. She's on our side."

"Eh, what?" said Éclair, raising one eyebrow sceptically.

"It's true, sir," continued Finn, "She's been helping us prepare for the war. She's told us everything she knows about the oncoming invasion."

"Has she really now," said Éclair thoughtfully, stroking his moustache, "You'd better come in then, both of you, and you can tell me what brings you here."

"So, you need to hide out here until nightfall?" Éclair asked of Marceline when they had finished telling them their plan, "I don't see why not. Any friend of Finn and Jake's is a friend of mine."

"Thank you, Éclair," replied Marceline.

"I'm afraid I don't have anything for you to eat," he continued, "I don't usually make a point of keeping my larder stocked with...blood."

"Oh no, no, I don't drink blood," Marceline replied quickly, "I drink shades of red."

"Red, eh?" said Éclair, "Well, I'm sure I'll have something then."

"I'd better get going now," interjected Finn, "Jake will be waiting for me back at the Kingdom." He got up and made for the door.

"Finn, wait," said Marceline, hurrying over to him, "Can you take this back to Bonnie?" She was holding a small white hairclip shaped like a skull.

"That's your favourite hairclip, isn't it?" replied Finn. Marceline nodded.

"I want her to have it," she said, "When I left for the Dark Domain she gave me her jade necklace to protect me. Now I want to give her something to protect her." Finn nodded.

"I'll make sure she gets it," he replied, "You can count on me."

"Thank you, Finn," smiled Marceline, hugging Finn tightly. Finn smiled back, his ears turning pink beneath his white bear hat. He said goodbye before opening the door and stepping out onto the grasslands beyond.

* * *

Princess Bubblegum sat at one of the long tables in the palace kitchens. She was staring glumly into the flames that leapt in the confines of the large metal range. Edith was kneading dough ready for baking nearby and the other members of the kitchen staff were bustling to and fro, clearing away the cutlery from the dining room table and washing the dishes.

"It's not fair," Princess Bubblegum mumbled into her hands.

"What was that, Princess?" asked Edith, looking up from the dough.

"I said it's not fair," she repeated. She didn't need to explain further. Edith sighed and sat down next to her.

"I know," she replied, "This war is creating a whole range of problems. I know how you feel."

"Huh?" said Princess Bubblegum, looking over at Edith.

"René is going off to fight in the army," explained Edith, "He's in the West Candy Kingdom Battalion. I can only hope and pray that he will return home safe. Practically every woman in the Candy Kingdom is facing the same worry. You're not alone. I know how special Marceline is to you." Princess Bubblegum nodded.

"You're right," she replied, "I'm not the only one suffering here. It only seems like it. I just wish the resistance would believe me when I tell them Marceline can be trusted."

"They are a stubborn bunch," said Edith matter-of-factly, "Like most freedom fighters. Their hearts are in the right place though." Princess Bubblegum nodded again.

"Princess, we're back," called a voice from the far end of the room. Princess Bubblegum turned to see Finn and Jake walk in through the courtyard door. She hurried over to meet them.

"Did everything go according to plan?" she asked.

"Yes, Marceline's with Éclair now," replied Finn, "She's totally safe. She'll be making her way home soon." The princess breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing Marceline was safe from harm was something at least. "Princess, she asked me to give this to you," continued Finn, holding out the hairclip.

"Her favourite hairclip," said the Princess breathlessly as she picked up the hair clip and held it gently.

"She says she wants you to keep it with you to protect you," explained Finn, "Just as you gave her your jade necklace." Princess Bubblegum nodded, smiling tearfully as she put the hairclip in her hair.

"Thank you, both of you, for everything," she said.


	15. The First Strike

The sun set on the western horizon, turning the sky a deep bloody crimson. Crickets chirped in the long grass below the sentry tower. It was a roughly constructed wooden structure and at its highest point a vat of kerosene stood, the flammable liquid reflecting the last rays of the setting sun.

A lollipop stood at the wooden railings, leaning on his musket. He was tired and was looking forward to being relieved of duty. It would be another hour before the night sentry came to take his place. The candyfloss trees below him rustled in the cool evening breeze and the shadows grew darker around him. The only light came from the stars and from the torch in a bracket on the top of the tower. He looked up sharply as a strange sound met his ears. It made the back of his neck prickle unpleasantly and he moved one hand up to rub at his neck. He stopped midway as something caught his eye. He dashed to the far side of the watchtower and looked at the crest of the next hill. Something was moving about on it. Something dark that moved through the grass without disturbing it. He notched an arrow and waited, fixing his gaze unblinkingly on the intruder.

He stumbled back with a startled outcry as something flew up past his head. Red eyes gleamed in the dark and long white hair flowed down the back of the vampire that now stood before him, perched on the wooden railings.

"How nice to see the Candy Kingdom sent out a welcoming party just for us?" he sneered, his snake-like tongue flickering over his fangs. The lollipop stared at him, eyes wide with fright, his mouth stuck in a grimace. He glanced over at the torch in the bracket. Before the vampire had time to react he picked up the torch and plunged it into the vat of kerosene. The vat erupted in a tower of bright orange flames, reaching far up into the sky. The lollipop stepped back, shielding himself from the blazing inferno. He heard shouts echoing up from the watch tower a few miles back along the route. Another fiery signal blazed into view and another and another. The lollipop glared at the vampire.

"Now the entire kingdom knows you're here," he snarled. The vampire reached out, grabbing the lollipop, his pale slender fingers coiling easily around his thin neck. He lifted him effortlessly into the air and held him out at arm's length. The lollipop struggled in midair, choking and grasping at the vampire's arm.

"Good, I shouldn't want to arrive unannounced," he grinned before letting go. The lollipop yelled in horror as he dropped away from the watchtower. The wind whistled in his ears as the ground seemed to rush up to meet him, eager to claim his life for its own.

* * *

Princess Bubblegum stood atop the gatehouse. She was wearing the battle armour Elidyr had forged for her and she carried her crossbow with an air of unease. Lady Rainicorn stood beside her, resting her front hooves on the stone wall. She too looked uneasy. She was frowning and gazing steadily at the horizon. A nougat man, Captain Sucrose, stood on her other side, clutching a rifle tightly in one hand. Their breath came out in clouds of mist and a stiff breeze ruffled Lady's mane. They heard the soldiers shuffling uneasily in the trenches below, their armour clinking with each movement.

Lady looked up sharply as something caught her eye. "공주!" she cried, a look of horror on her face. The torch at the top of the watchtower on the crest of the nearest hill had been lit. Princess Bubblegum clenched her crossbow tighter. "It's time," she said solemnly, "Alert the troops." A drum sounded deep within the palace, calling all the soldiers to arms and alerting those in the trenches. Several of the archers nocked wooden stakes onto their bows and crossbows, ready to fire. The air in and around the kingdom was so tense that it could have been cut with a knife.

"Are you ready, Princess?" asked Captain Sucrose.

"Is anyone ever truly ready for war?" replied Princess Bubblegum. She climbed up onto Lady's back where she sat. Lady could feel the tension in the young woman and desperately wished this were not happening.

Then they saw them, crawling over the hills like large shining black beetles. A grey banner decorated with a blazing orange sun flew above their ranks. Lady braced herself against the stone floor before launching herself into the air. The princess held on tightly to the metal spikes that protruded from the back of her helmet as they dove down towards the ground.

"Secure your positions," she called down to the pikemen, "Central battalion, move out!" A group of soldiers moved out with her, rifles glinting in the moonlight as they advanced across the grassland to meet their foes. As they drew near they were met by a hail of arrows. Princess Bubblegum ducked her head and she felt several clangs as they bounced harmlessly off Lady's armour. The battalion hid under the cover of their iron shields, weathering the attack. Here and there a candy person crumpled to the ground, the black fletching blossoming from his chest. Princess Bubblegum raised her crossbow, aiming at the front ranks of the advancing vampires. She fired a stake which whistled through the air, finding its target and sinking deep into the vampire's chest. Smoke gushed out from withering pale lips and he slumped to the ground, gushing more smoke and shrivelling away to nothing. A war cry erupted from within the vampires' ranks and another volley of arrows were unleashed on the candy people. They retaliated, lighting the fuses on their matchlock rifles.

"FIRE!" yelled Princess Bubblegum. More stakes whistled through the air. Some found their mark while others bounced off metal armour. The vampires, armed with swords and bayonets flew at the candy people while others morphed into terrifying beings with slathering jaws and bloodshot eyes. They roared, swiping at the candy people with talons and tentacles alike. Princess Bubblegum nocked an arrow as Lady Rainicorn flew towards the hulking great beast. It roared savagely, swinging a tail like a mace at the Princess. Lady dodged the blow and Princess Bubblegum released the arrow. It embedded itself in the creature's eye. It howled in pain, flailing around. She fired another arrow, blinding it while a group of Candy soldiers moved in with their crossbows.

She swooped down unleashing stake after stake at the oncoming vampires but for each one she killed three more took their place. She could hear the clamour of battle echoing up from the east. She cursed under her breath, the vampires had chosen more than one attack route. One of the watchtowers had been raised to the ground and the acrid smell of burning reached them. It was the sickening smell of burning sugar. Something whistled past her ear and she heard Lady give a shriek of pain. Next thing she knew they were tumbling through the air. It was all the Princess could do to hold on. With a shuddering lurch Lady managed to right herself. Princess Bubblegum looked around and spotted the shaft of an arrow sticking out from her back.

"Lady," she cried. She began edging her way along the length of Lady's back. This was hard to do whilst in flight and several times she feared she would slip. At last she reached the arrow. She grasped a hold of it and tugged. The arrow caught for a moment before coming free. Lady shuddered and the Princess almost lost her grip again. An arrow whistled over her head and she ducked, crawling back up to the saddle. At last she was back in place. Lady wasted no time in swooping low, providing the Princess with another opportunity to strike. Three more vampires shrivelled and fell and once more the two forces met with a resounding clash. Vampires and Candy people alike met their end and before long the ground was soaked with red sticky syrup and withered smoking flesh.

Suddenly Princess Bubblegum heard someone call her name. It was Captain Sucrose sitting astride the Morrow, her giant falcon.

"Princess, you're needed back at the castle," he yelled, "The south wall is about to be breached." Lady wheeled around in midair and soared back in the direction of the palace, Princess Bubblegum leaning forwards in the saddle, her feet braced against the stirrups. The wind whipped back her ponytail and rippled her chainmail skirt. Captain Sucrose rode alongside her on the great falcon.

They reached the palace and were greeted by the sounds of battle. The Candy People were fighting the vampires in groups on the open plains while the archers shot down all they could from their places atop the battlements and in the trenches. The southern wall was in a terrible state. The walls were starting to crumble under the vicious barrage of rocks from the catapults. The Candy People were holding them off as best they could but this band of vampires were equipped with shields that they used to deflect the arrows. She surveyed the scene for a moment, trying to work out the best course of action.

"Lady, we'll have to barrel right into them," she said, "We need to scatter them and make it easier for our riflemen." Lady agreed and swooped down towards the shielded group of vampires. Lady lowered her head, surging straight into them. She tossed her head from side to side, scattering vampires right and left.

"NOW!" she yelled over her shoulder. The Candy People charged forth, taking advantage of the vampire's confusion and dispatching a great many with jabs from sharpened wooden staffs. Smoke belched into the air in thick greasy clouds, making the Candy People cough and splutter. Princess Bubblegum soared back up above the battle. She caught sight of something that her heart leap for joy. The first rays of the rising sun were peeking over the hills on the horizon, casting it's dark banishing light over the land. At the sight of the dreaded ball of light the vampires shrieked in pain. It was an ear-splitting sound and many of the citizens backed away in alarm. One by one the vampires vanished. The Candy People cheered, waving their weapons in the air with jubilant cries. Princess Bubblegum landed in amongst them.

"Princess, we defeated them," cried a peppermint candy.

"They couldn't take our kingdom," yelled another.

"Don't get carried away," cautioned Princess Bubblegum, "They've merely fallen back to regroup. They'll return tonight almost certainly. Until then we must prepare." A hush fell over the crowd. "We can put an end to them though," continued Princess Bubblegum, "Once and for all. You fought valiantly, each and every one of you." There was a ripple of satisfaction at this. "We'll move back within the kingdom walls for now. We need to take care of our injured and get some rest." With that they began to make their way back into the Candy Kingdom. The injured were carried in on stretchers and the dead were taken to have their last respects paid by loved ones. It was a bittersweet victory, as is the case with all wars but Princess Bubblegum was determined that no matter what happened, it was a war the vampires would not soon forget.


	16. Saving Princess Bubblegum

The sunlight shone through the cave opening. It squeezed in through a gap in the curtains and slanted in a beam across the bed. Marceline groaned, pulling the duvet over her head. She had slept fitfully that night. Every time she had closed her eyes she saw Princess Bubblegum fly off into battle and every time she started to doze she heard a scream of pain. Each time she had sat bolt upright, drawing a few deep useless breaths.

Marceline reached out, grabbing her gloves from the bedside table. She put them on beneath the covers before reaching out once more to close the gap in the curtains. She emerged from the duvet, her midnight hair sticking out in tufts. It was starting to grow again since she had cut it short to disguise herself on her journey to the Dark Domain. She took up her brush and began teasing out the knots caused by her less than peaceful sleep. She got out of bed and dressed, picking up her axe bass from where it leant against the wall before floating outside where she sat on the wooden decking. The net of her basketball hoop fluttered lazily in the slight breeze drifting in through the cave entrance. She strummed a few chords but her heart wasn't in it. She looked up at the cave ceiling where the stalactites hung, water dripping from their tips and forming puddles that ranged in size from very small and shallow to some that were more akin to ponds.

"Please be safe, Bonnie," Marceline said softly, touching the jade pendant at her neck.

* * *

"The vampires will almost certainly attack again tonight," said Princess Bubblegum, addressing the group of candy soldiers amassed in a group before her, "Tonight I want extra forces to guard the southern wall. I've positioned sentries in a five mile radius of the kingdom. They will alert us to what direction the vampires are attacking from."

"Suppose the vampires change direction when we move out?" piped up a voice from near the back.

"I've prepared for that. Lady and I will circle above the battle and report back any changes in direction. Lady will fire a beam at an object near the nearest group of soldiers to indicate their change of direction. North is red, blue is east, yellow is south and green is west." There was a ripple of agreement at this.

"We will follow your every direction, Princess," said Mr. Cupcake. Several others nodded in agreement.

"Very well, rest well, my citizens, and prepare for tonight," concluded Princess Bubblegum.

* * *

Finn sat on a large rock in the trench near the Western Entrance to the Kingdom. He leant on his demon blood sword which glowed faintly in the firelight cast by Flame Princess. She was sitting next to him, her red hair flickering in the wind that blew along the trenches.

"It's so quiet," observed Finn, getting up and peering over the edge of the trench.

"They're waiting for moonrise," replied Flame Princess, getting up and standing beside him. She looked over at Finn. "Are you alright?" she asked, resting her hand on his shoulder plate.

"Yeah, I'm fine, FP," replied Finn, smiling reassuringly when she didn't look convinced.

"We will win, you know," she continued, looking out over the grassland, "They'll taste our fire and burn to ashes." Finn laughed.

"You're right, FP," he said. They both jumped as they heard a loud snore. They looked over at Jake who was propped up against a rock, one hand resting on his stomach. His jowls rippled with each breath, his snores rumbling around the trench. Finn and Flame Princess burst out laughing at the sight of the sleeping dog.

Jake jerked awake, looking over at the laughing couple. "What's so funny?" he asked in confusion.

"It's like sharing a trench with a swamp monster," laughed Finn.

"You were snoring, Jake," added Flame Princess. Jake looked miffed at this.

"Chill, dude," said Finn when he noticed the look on Jake's face. Jake yawned and stretched.

"What time is it anyway?" he asked.

"Just a little after sunset," replied Finn.

"I guess we'd better get ready," said Jake, standing up and putting on his helmet. Finn nodded and put on his own helmet.

The moon began to rise above the horizon as Finn, Jake and Flame Princess took up their positions. Somewhere in the Candy Kingdom the strained silence was shattered by an infant crying. They spotted the silhouette of Lady Rainicorn and the Princess circling high over the kingdom.

"Looks like Lady and the Princess are in position," observed Flame Princess.

"And just in time," said Finn grimly, pointing to the horizon where the vampires were amassing. Finn turned to the other Candy People under his command.

"We move out now," he said, climbing up out of the trench. Jake, Flame Princess and the rest of the battalion followed close behind, holding their weapons with a look of grim acceptance on their faces. The two forces moved ever closer to one another, eyes not leaving the faces of their foes for an instant. It was with resignation that some of the Candy People moved forwards, as though they knew they had but a few minutes left.

* * *

Marceline paced the floor of the cave, or as well one could pace whilst floating.

"What if she needs me?" she wondered aloud, "What if she's in danger?" Her thoughts whirred in her head like a clockwork mechanism which refused to wind down. She clenched her hands into fists, making her mind up in an instant. She grabbed her axe bass, strapping it across her back and soared out of the cave. She couldn't wait around where her thoughts would drive her insane. Now was the time for action. The wind whistled in her pointed ears as she flew over the vast plains of Ooo. She spotted smoke rising up from a burnt out sentry post. The body of a lollipop lay near the smouldering remains, his stick snapped in two.

She heard the battle before she saw it. The clamour of steel on steel and the battle cries echoing up from both sides. She flew faster than ever, disappearing into the darkening night.

* * *

CRASH! An iron blade slammed into Finn's shield. The blow was alarmingly strong but he managed to deflect it before lunging forward with a wooden stake. The vampire dodged and made to bring the sword down on his unprotected back. Suddenly a wave of fire engulfed him and he screeched. Finn leapt out of the way as the burning body hit the ground. Flame Princess snarled angrily. How dare they try to hurt her Finn! He looked at her as the flames diminished.

"Wow," was all he could manage.

He leapt to his feet as more vampires came charging their way, brandishing swords and maces. The Candy People formed tight knit groups, backs to the centre and forming a circle of sharp pointed stakes and rifles. The vampires snarled, advancing towards them, some in the form of wolves and tentacled monsters. "Take aim," commanded Finn, "Hold your positions." As if his words had broken some sort of restraint on the vampires they surged forth, mouths open and fangs exposed.

"FIRE!" yelled Finn. The air around him exploded as the rifles were fired, leaving gaping holes in the chests of the nearest vampires. They stared in disbelief at their hollowed chests. They looked back at Finn and the other warriors, their faces twisted by pain and hatred before crumpling to the ground, leaking noxious smoke. The vampires in their wake looked momentarily disheartened by their comrades' defeat. For a second Finn thought he saw a flicker of fear in their eyes. The next second it was gone, replaced by a murderous hatred. With a terrifying screech they lunged, knocking the Candy People to the ground where they tore at them viciously. The battalion was in disarray.

Jake enlarged his hand into a giant fist and punched a group of the vampires, leaving them open to rifle attacks. The Candy People retaliated and the air was filled with the clamour of steel on steel. A banana guard who had attached two more popsicle sticks to his sides and filed them down to sharp points spun around like a whirling dervish, cutting into any vampires that came too close. Finn and Flame Princess lunged, demon sword and flame sword outstretched to taste the metallic taste of battle once more.

* * *

Princess Bubblegum surveyed the battle from her vantage point above the battle. A fire had broken out on the southern wall. The air was tense and charged with an approaching storm. Officer Butterscotch's battalion was moving steadily out towards the Eastern Escarpment. A band of vampires were moving towards them. Suddenly they began to veer off to the North, hoping to scout around the battalion.

"Lady, turn that tree red," she said, pointing to a tree near the marching Candy People. Lady nodded and aimed her horn at the tree. A bright light erupted from the tip and flashed through the air, lighting up the tree. When the light diminished the leaves and trunk had turned a bright crimson.

Officer Butterscotch, along with the other members of the battalion, jumped in surprise at the sight of the illuminated tree. Officer Butterscotch looked up, spotting the silhouette of the Princess and Lady Rainicorn. He saluted, unsure of whether or not she could see it. He barked out some orders to the battalion who, taking a moment to decipher his command, moved off in the direction he indicated.

Throughout the night she continued her surveillance, alerting the troops of any change in direction. First the vampires tried one direction and then another. Princess Bubblegum knew what they were up to. They were using the organised chaos technique Marceline had warned her about. Marceline. She wondered where she was and what she was doing? The Princess felt her hair prickle as the air became more charged with electricity. A spot of rain landed on her face and ran down into the corner of her mouth. Much more of this and she'd be forced to go lower.

Something whistled through the air and struck her on her back, knocking her forwards onto Lady's armoured neck.

"뭐였지?" cried Lady in alarm.

"I don't know," replied Princess Bubblegum, looking over her shoulder as a rumble of thunder echoed in the distance. She froze, her eyes widening as she caught sight of a band of vampires. A shaft of lightning rent through the air, briefly illuminating them.

"공주는, 우리는 그들을 여기 싸울 수 없습니다! (Princess, we can't fight them up here!)" yelled Lady Rainicorn. Princess Bubblegum nodded and lowered herself in the saddle as Lady sped off. The vampires gave chase, hissing and yelling after them.

Finn looked up, watching the chase from the ground. "Oh no," he cried, "Princess! She's under attack!"

"Come on dude, we'll try and catch up to them," said Jake, signalling for Finn to get on his back. They ran across the plains, Flame Princess flying alongside them, using her flames as a form of propulsion.

Lady made for the Candy Kingdom, hoping to lose the vampires in amongst the towering spires and turrets. They dove in between the buildings, Lady making use of her long coiling body to wind in through the tight spaces. Princess Bubblegum looked over her shoulder and cried out in fright as she realised they had not lost the vampires, they were gaining on them steadily. In panic they soared out of the kingdom, making a desperate dash across the plains. Another rock struck Princess Bubblegum on the back. She flattened herself as low as she could. More rocks flew past her, some narrowly missing Lady's head.

CLANG! A rock struck the Princess on the back of the head and stars flashed before her eyes. Lady felt the Princess go limp in the saddle and the next thing she knew she was falling away from her, tumbling through the stormy sky.

"공주! 안돼!" cried Lady. She swooped down, urging herself to go faster. She cried out, fear distorting her voice, "NOOOOOOOO!" She grasped for the Princess and missed. She tried again and managed to grab hold of her. She tried to slow down but she knew she couldn't pull back up out of the dive in time. She held the Princess tightly in her arms, turning round in midair and pulling herself out of the dive as much as she physically could. She held her close to protect her from the imminent impact. She felt the breath leave her lungs as she hit the ground. Clods of earth flew up on either side as they skidded across the ground, leaving a deep furrow in the earth. Her head struck a rock and stars glittered in front of her eyes before turning black.

The vampires landed in front of them.

"Looks like you've finally run out of places to run," sneered one of them. He pulled out a large rusty sword from his scabbard. It was covered in dark rusty stains and deep scratches ran the length of the blade. "This is it," he growled, "This is the end for you." Princess Bubblegum looked dazedly up at her attacker. Her head still throbbed dully and she raised her arm in a feeble defence. The vampire laughed coldly as he raised the sword above his head. Princess Bubblegum shut her eyes as the weapon swung down.

A bolt of lightning rent apart the sky, filling the Princess' eyes with light. There was a resounding crash above her. At first she thought it was thunder. Was that to be the last sound she'd hear? She waited, eyes shut tight, for the blow to come. When it didn't she opened her eyes. Standing before her was a figure wearing blue jeans and a red tank top. Black hair flowed down to just past her shoulders. Although her vision was still a little blurry that didn't stop her from recognising the vampire who now stood in front of her, her red axe bass blocking the metal sword's blow. She braced herself against the ground, straining against the vampire's force. The bass creaked and the princess feared it would give way. Marceline snarled, giving an almighty push against the sword. She gained a few inches, gradually forcing the vampire back. He withdrew and she swung at him with her bass. He dodged back and lunged swiping at her and narrowly missing her face. He swung his sword and she parried the blow. Each lunge cost her a few inches of ground. He pinned her to the ground, ready to strike the final blow. Marceline noticed a wooden stake at her side. She grabbed it and plunged it straight into the vampire's chest. His eyes widened in shock and smoke billowed from his mouth. He fell off her where he withered away to nothing.

Marceline got up and hurried over to the semi conscious monarch and her steed. She dropped to her knees next to them. "Princess, Lady, are you alright?" she asked concernedly. Lady mumbled something in Korean that Marceline couldn't understand.

"I think so," said Princess Bubblegum. She tried to move and winced, "Owow."

"Lie still, Bonnie," soothed Marceline, scooping the Princess up in her arms. She heard running footsteps behind her and turned to see Finn and Jake running towards them.

"Finn, Jake," she began before they had a chance to say anything, "I need you to get Lady into the palace." Finn and Jake nodded and hurried over to help Lady Rainicorn. Marceline turned back towards the Candy Kingdom and began to move slowly and purposefully in towards the palace. The Candy People parted to let her through, muttering under their breath. Even Marceline's keen ears couldn't hear what they were saying. The low voices made her feel uneasy.

"Which way to the infirmary?" she snapped.

"Th-that way," stuttered a coffee cream, pointing towards a door off to her left, "Go down the corridor and up two flights of stairs. The infirmary is the first door on the right."

"Thank you," Marceline replied shortly, floating past the coffee cream to the door. Finn and Jake hurried along behind her, carrying Lady on their shoulders. They moved hastily down the corridor and up the two flights of stairs. Marceline opened the door and ushered them inside.

She lowered the Princess down onto one of the beds whilst Finn and Jake attended to Lady Rainicorn. Marceline removed the Princess' helmet. There was a lump the size of an egg on the back of her head and the skin there was bruised purple.

"Oooh, that looks painful," said Marceline sympathetically. She picked up an ice pack and wrapped it in a towel before pressing it to the lump. The princess winced visibly and unbidden Marceline took her hand, her thumb stroking the back of her hand gently.

"You promised you'd be careful," said Marceline. Princess Bubblegum smiled wryly.

"Sorry, Mar-Mar," she replied, "Thanks, for saving me."

"Anytime, grinned Marceline. She pulled Princess Bubblegum into an embrace. The princess laughed. "Hehe, mind my bruises," she grinned, hugging Marceline tightly anyway, "Now who's getting sentimental?"

"Watch what you say, Princess?" Marceline retorted with mock sternness.

"How are you feeling, Lady?" asked Jake.

"작은 상처지만 살고 있습니다," smiled Lady.

"Thank goodness," replied Jake, "What happened?"

"우리는 나라 위를 비행했다. 우리는 군인에 눈을 유지하고 뱀파이어 방향을 변경 한 경우이를 알려주 하였다," explained Lady, "그런 다 그룹은 우리가 뭘하고 있었는지 발견하고 우리를 쫓아. 그들은 슬링 샷을했다. 하나의 바위가 내 뒤에 떨어져 공주를 두드렸다. 나는 그녀를 붙 잡았다 그러나 나는 시간에 다이빙 당겨 수 없습니다. 그게 내가 기억할 수있는 전부입니다." She relayed everything that had happened, surveying the troops and keeping them organised, being spotted by the vampires and trying to evade them. Catching the fallen princess was the last thing she could remember clearly. It wasn't surprising given the egg sized lump on her brow.

"Looks like you and Bonnie have a matching pair," grinned Marceline, indicating the egg sized lumps. They laughed lightly at this.

"We'd better go and talk to the Candy People," said Princess Bubblegum, getting up slowly.

"No, no, Princess, you need to rest," replied Marceline. Princess Bubblegum shook her head and winced. "Don't have to rest," she said stubbornly, "We need to tell them what happened. All of it." She walked slowly out of the infirmary, accompanied by Marceline who hovered a foot behind her just in case she was unsteady on her feet. The princess had surprised her with her willpower before and now she was doing it again. She walked with almost no sign of her previous ordeal save for the way she held her head to stop it from moving with the momentum of her gait. They reached the door and stepped out onto streets. Marceline expected to be attacked the moment she left the palace but to her surprise the Candy People remained where they were.

"You saved our princess," said a gumdrop.

"Thank you," added a cupcake.

"We must admit that we misjudged you," said Michelle Nougat to Marceline's surprise, "Can you forgive us for our dreadful mistake?" She inclined her head as a symbol of respect. The other Candy People, one by one, did the same. Marceline looked around her in disbelief.

"I...well...I guess so," she stuttered.

"Looks like I don't have much explaining to do," smiled Princess Bubblegum. Peppermint Butler stepped forward.

"Forgive me, Marceline," he said, "And you too, Princess. I admit I did not approve of your relationship but now I see how much you love and care for one another. You've showed the Princess true love and you, Princess, likewise."

"Thank you, Peppermint," said Princess Bubblegum, smiling tearfully, "And no forgiveness needed."


	17. Infiltrating the Enemy

"So that's how it stands," said Princess Bubblegum, standing alongside Marceline, Finn, Jake and Lady on the dais before the citizens of the Candy Kingdom, "We can continue defending the Kingdom but we cannot kill them outright. There are far too many for that."

"Then what can we do?" asked a chocolate egg.

"I've been thinking about that," replied Princess Bubblegum, "The truth of the matter is we need to take them down at their base camp in the Acutus Mountains. It would be far too conspicuous for a band of our soldiers to attack there, not to mention it would leave us exposed and underpowered so I've volunteered to go there and take them down.

"하지만, 공주, 당신은 여전히 복구하는!" protested Lady Rainicorn.

"I'm fine, Lady," replied Princess Bubblegum, "It's just a little bump. I can handle this." Marceline looked at the Princess sceptically, her arms folded. It was true that the young woman had recovered enough to resume her normal duties around the palace but there was no way she'd be up to fighting for at least another week. Another week, that was a week they didn't have. To be blunt, things weren't looking particularly good. Sure the Candy People were still hopeful for the most part but how long would it be before the troops' morale was lowered?

"Princess, if I may, I have a suggestion," said Marceline.

"What is it, Marce?" asked Princess Bubblegum.

"With all due respect, Lady's right," said Marceline, "Killing them would be no easy task. You'd never do it in one night and once they got wind of your actions they'd just move base camp and we'd lose the one reference point we have." The Princess sighed. She knew Marceline was right.

"What do you suggest then?" she asked.

"As I'm a vampire, I would go unnoticed among their ranks," explained Marceline, "I could infiltrate their army and take them down from the inside."

"You mean sabotage?" said Finn. Marceline nodded.

"Exactly, it's the last thing they'd expect, one of their own to turn on them," she replied, "They'll be caught completely off guard."

"This all sounds very dangerous," said Princess Bubblegum.

"No more dangerous than your plan," reasoned Marceline, "All plans carry a bit of risk."

"That's true," conceded Princess Bubblegum, "Very well, just be careful."

"Aren't I always?" laughed Marceline, "I'll head out first thing tomorrow morning." Princess Bubblegum noticed Lady looking rather pensive. She knew what was bothering her. She couldn't fight after the damage she'd taken the night before and she feared that she, the Princess, was also too injured to fight.

Princess Bubblegum concluded the meeting and they left the conference hall.

"What's going to happen tonight?" asked Finn. The Princess knew what he was referring to.

"I've asked Captain Sucrose to take over," she replied, "I'll remain on the sidelines, caring for the sick and wounded in the infirmary." She looked over at Lady who still looked pensive. "Is something the matter, Lady?" she asked. Lady shook her head.

"아니, 아니, 그냥 생각했다," she replied. The Princess didn't look convinced but let the matter drop for now.

"Well, we might as well go get some lunch," said Princess Bubblegum, "Will Flame Princess be joining us?"

"Yeah, she'll be here in a minute," replied Finn. They made their way down to the dining room. True to Finn's word, Flame Princess arrived shortly after they reached the dining room. She was wearing a pair of tin foil gloves and boots. Princess Bubblegum had set out a tin foil covered chair for her and she took a seat with the others.

"I'm really going to miss you," said Princess Bubblegum, looking at Marceline, "Last time, when you went to the Dark Domain, and when you had to stay away from the kingdom, it felt terrible. Sometimes it feels like we've spent more time apart than we have together." Marceline looked sadly at Princess Bubblegum. It was true. And each time she left it felt like there was a leaden weight in her chest. She didn't know what to say to cheer the young woman up.

"May I make a suggestion?" said BMO, climbing up onto the table. It was an awkward task considering his shape but he managed it.

"What?" asked Marceline. BMO unhooked something from his back. He held it out to Marceline. It looked like a small coil of plastic attached to an equally small capsule.

"What is it?" asked Marceline.

"Speak into it," replied BMO with a grin.

"What?" questioned Marceline.

"Speak into it," BMO repeated, still grinning. He sat down on the tabletop next to Princess Bubblegum.

"Uhh...hi?" said Marceline confusedly. To her amazement her voice emanated from the speakers on the side of BMO's head.

"Wow," gasped Finn, "That's awesome. How'd you do that?"

"It's called a two way radio," explained BMO, "Princess, you can talk into this microphone here," he indicated a small microphone set into the top of his head, "And you and Marcy will be able to stay in contact. All she has to do is, when she's alone, press the button on her microphone and that will start the communications."

"W-wow, thank you BMO," said Princess Bubblegum.

"Yeah, thanks, BMO," added Marceline, "This is just what we need." She smiled at Princess Bubblegum.

"And if you here any word of where the next attack will be you can let us know," said Finn.

"Hey yeah," replied Marceline, "I'll be the secret double agent." She grinned roguishly.

"나는 친구가 지금 떠날 수 있습니다," Lady said suddenly, "나중에 다시있을 것이다."

"Yeah, sure thing Lady," replied Princess Bubblegum, "I'll see you later." Lady got up from the table and left the room.

"Is it just me or did Lady look worried?" asked Flame Princess.

"Yeah, I thought I noticed something earlier," replied Princess Bubblegum, "She told me everything was fine but she still looked worried."

"Do you think it has anything to do with what happened earlier?" asked Flame Princess, "When those vampires attacked you?"

"Maybe, Lady and I have always been very close," murmured Princess Bubblegum, "Like sisters really. We always worry about each other when something like this happens. Do you think maybe I should go talk to her?"

"She probably just needs some time to think things over," said Jake, "She gets like this with me sometimes too."

* * *

"Bonnie," said Marcy as she sat on the edge of Princess Bubblegum's bed.

"Yeah?" replied Princess Bubblegum as she pulled her pyjama top over her head.

"The vampires will definitely be asleep during the day," said Marceline, "So, I'll call you around noon, okay?"

"Alright," replied Princess Bubblegum, pulling back the covers of the bed and climbing in. When Marceline didn't join her she leaned over, putting her arm around her waist and leaning against her back. Her lips brushed softly against her hair. "Come on," she murmured, "We've got a long day ahead of us, you especially, so we'd better get some sleep." Marceline nodded and climbed into bed, switching off the light and plunging the room into total darkness. Only Marceline's eyes, worried and fretful, penetrated the gloom. Princess Bubblegum went through her usual ritual of wriggling around until she found a comfortable part of the bed to sleep in. The next second she felt, to her surprise, Marceline's arms wrap around her, drawing her closer as the Vampire Queen buried her face in her neck. It wasn't like her to be so clingy. Princess Bubblegum put her arms around her, resting her head on the vampire's midnight black hair. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, her fingers tracing small circles on Marceline's back.

"I don't want to go," moaned Marceline, her fingers tangled in Princess Bubblegum's pink tresses.

"Then don't," replied Princess Bubblegum.

"If only it was that simple, Bonnie," mumbled Marceline, her breath tickling the Princess' neck, "If I don't go, the vampires will overwhelm us and glob knows what'll happen then."

"There's really no other way?" asked the Princess. Marceline shook her head.

"No, taking them down from the inside is the only chance we've got," she replied, "I still don't want to go though." She nestled closer in the Princess' arms.

"How long do you think it will take you?" asked Bonnibel, running her fingers through Marceline's hair.

"It's hard to say," replied Marceline, "It could be a couple of weeks or it could be a month. Maybe more."

"Well, at least when you get back we won't have to be parted again," smiled Bonnibel. She tugged playfully at one of Marceline's pointed ears, "Well, unless I annoy you too much." Marceline chuckled.

"Glob, I love you," she murmured.

"I love you too," Bonnibel murmured in response.

* * *

They were awoken the following morning by the sound of footsteps running along the corridor. They sat bolt upright as the door swung open and Finn and Jake rushed in. They were both out of breath when they reached the two monarchs.

"Princess...Marceline," gasped Finn.

"She's...gone," panted Jake, "Lady. She left...a note. Can you read it? I can speak Korean. But I'm not so good at reading it." He held up the note. It looked as though it had been written in haste. Princess Bubblegum took the note from Jake and put on her glasses. She began to read aloud from the note. It was difficult to read in places due to the haste with which it was written.

_Dear Friends,  
By the time you read this letter I will have left. I cannot tell you where I've gone in case this letter falls into the wrong hands. I will be back as soon as I can. Please tell my little sister to be careful and not to get into any more danger. And Jake, don't worry, I will return safely, I promise._

With love from  
L.R.

"Where do you think she went?" asked Jake, looking worried, "I've searched everywhere I can think of."

"She said she can't tell us where she's gone," observed Marceline, "Maybe she's got a plan of some sort."

"You don't think she might have gone off to fight those vampires alone, do you?" asked Jake, "Because she doesn't want the Princess getting into any more danger."

"I don't think so," said Princess Bubblegum, "Lady might be a little reckless at times, after all, that's why we call her the Rowdy Queen, but she knows her limits."

"Hmm... I hope you're right," said Jake.

"Well, I'm leaving for base camp in an hour or so," replied Marceline, "I'll let you know if I see any sign of her."

"Thanks Marce," said Jake, "I'd really appreciate that."

An hour later they stood at the gate. Marceline was wearing her hat and gloves. She'd left her axe bass back at the palace as it was too recognisable. She kissed Princess Bubblegum and bade farewell to the others before flying off in the direction of the Acutus Mountains. It was a bright sunny day and for once Marceline was glad of the sun's presence. It meant that the base camp would hopefully be devoid of any activity when she reached it. She heard the cry of an eagle overhead and looked up to see the tiny silhouette high up above her.

It was midafternoon before she saw the mountains in the distance. She landed in a copse of ilex trees before making the rest of the way there on foot. She reached the top of the hill and looked down into the valley. Spread across the valley floor were row upon row of tents. She crept down into the valley where she found a gap in the row of tents. Here she placed her rucksack down on the floor and pulled a tent out of it. She worked as silently as she could, hammering the pegs into the ground and pulling the strings taut. At last the tent was finished and she crawled inside, sitting down in the corner where she waited while she plotted her next move. She soon realised that she'd have to wait one more day before she tried anything. If anyone had noticed her arrival it would seem suspicious if things started to go wrong right after she arrived. Plus she'd have to find out how things worked here, what the daily routine was. She at least knew how she would go about sabotaging them. With nothing else to do she curled up in her blanket and within a few minutes she was asleep.


	18. Moving Out

Marceline was woken to the sound of a bugle call. She sat up quickly, forgetting for an instant where she was. She looked dazedly at the nylon roof and walls surrounding her before remembering. She looked at her watch. The hands read 9pm. She unzipped the tent and glided out. She soon became aware that she wasn't the only one. From each tent vampires were emerging. Many carried swords and a few carried bows and arrows. They were making their way towards the centre of the camp and Marceline followed along behind, keeping near the back of the crowd. Vampires of all stripes were there, some were of the clan in Lamiae while others came from further North on the farthest escarpment at Cleren D'all. Still others came from the Desolate Mountain. They were a hardy clan, characterized by their preference of garments made from the hides of various creatures and their large muscular forms. Floating above the other vampires was the same vampire Marceline had seen at the meeting in the Dark Domain. His long white hair rippled down his back and his lips were pulled back in a fierce snarl.

"Our victory is very nearly assured," he sneered, grinning savagely, "The Candy People grow weaker with each passing night and the potion belonging to that wretched pink blob will soon be ours." A cheer went up from the vampires around Marceline. She shook with a mixture of rage, hot and dark and yet she felt cold fear in the pit of her stomach too. She couldn't understand why but something about that vampire made her feel distinctly tense and uneasy. She silently berated herself, this was not the Vampire Queen she knew.

"You there," said the head vampire, pointing directly at her and catching her off guard.

"Wha-? Yessir?" she replied as submissively as she could manage.

"Where is your weapon?" he demanded.

"I-uhh...I don't have one," she admitted.

"Were you not instructed to bring one?" he continued.

"I...I must have missed that part," she replied, averting her gaze from his. Something about the way he looked at her made her skin turn to gooseflesh. He hesitated for a moment as though considering her words.

"Very well," he said at length, "We need someone to run the mess hall." Marceline inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "In the next few days a wagon will arrive here along the Eastern track," continued the head vampire, "It will be carrying fresh supplies of food and new weaponry. Upon the arrival of this wagon our victory will be assured. I will be sending out some of you to the valley's eastern entrance to receive the wagon. That is all. Soldiers, report to the Southern End and the rest of you, man your posts." With that the vampires dispersed. Marceline made her way through the rows of tents to the mess hall. She could easily detect it by the rotten stench of blood emanating from it. This was not to be an easy task for her to stomach but she resolved to weather it out.

As she stood before the large metal cauldron she thought about what the head vampire had said. He had unwittingly provided her with the first target for sabotage. Throughout her time at the mess hall she listened in on any conversations that happened to take place in earshot of her. Through these conversations she gleaned a little knowledge of the following night's attack. As the sky began to turn a bronzy orange she, along with the other vampires in the camp, returned to their tents. She sat down in the corner of the tent, at a loss for something to do. Normally when alone she would play her axe bass but with the absence of her favourite instrument she had little to do but twiddle her thumbs, waiting for noon to arrive.

When it did at last she pulled the communicator out of her bag and set it in place behind her ear, extending the microphone across to her mouth. She pressed the button on the side and immediately the sound of static crackled in her ear. A moment later the crackling ceased and she heard a familiar voice, so close as though she were right beside her.

"Mar-mar," cried Princess Bubblegum, "How are you? Are you ok?" There was the usual note of urgency and concern that Marceline would often tease the young woman over.

"Slow down, Bon, I'm fine," she replied, and for once she heard the same urgency in her own voice, "I just got here yesterday afternoon. Oh, it's so great to hear your voice. I mean it."

"I love you," Princess Bubblegum blurted out.

"I love you too," replied Marceline, "I've got some news."

"Oh, what?" asked Princess Bubblegum.

"They're going to send a wagonload of food and new weaponry to the camp within the next few days along the Eastern Track," explained Marceline, "Listen Bonnie, it's absolutely crucial we stop that wagon getting here. Do you think you can get a raiding part up there?"

"Yeah, definitely," replied Bonnibel, "I wish Lady was here though. That would have made our task much easier. Speaking of Lady, have you seen her?"

"No, I'm afraid not," said Marceline, "I haven't seen or heard anything. She mustn't have come this way."

"Have you heard anything else?" asked Bonnibel.

"Yeah, the next attack is going to be on the western side of the kingdom," she replied, "You'd better let Finn know."

"Right, will do," said Bonnibel. Marceline looked over her shoulder.

"I'd better go now," she said, "I can hear voices outside. I promise I'll call again as soon as I can. I love you."

"Alright Marcy, I love you too," replied Princess Bubblegum, "See you soon." The crackle of static resumed and Marceline switched off the microphone, unhooking it and stowing it back in her bag. She pulled the blanket up around her and lay still, hoping that the Candy Kingdom could hold firm long enough and the raiding party could successfully take out the wagon. She fell into an uneasy sleep filled with visions of that vampire with the long white hair. He seemed strangely familiar yet alien at the same time. Who was he?

She awoke at nightfall, drenched in a cold sweat. Her nightmares refused to leave her alone all through the day and she was glad to finally wake up. She gathered herself together and left the tent to take up her position at the mess hall. It was a long uneventful night and unfortunately there was no information to be had concerning the next attack.

The following morning, as she made her way back to her tent, she heard the approach of the vampires returning from their attack.

"What happened?" one questioned frantically.

"There was an ambush along our attack route," replied another, "Somehow they knew where we were attacking from."

"Nonsense," added another, "They must've just got lucky. We've checked and double checked the perimeter for spies and come up with nothing."

"It better not happen again," replied the other voice, "We suffered heavy losses. Captain Cruor was among those who didn't return."

"Captain Cruor?" cried the first voice in disbelief, "But he was our best fighter."

"I know," replied the other voice, "The troop's morale has been lowered quite a bit."

"It can't be helped," added another voice, "Our leader will restore the morale." With that they each departed for their various tents. Marceline crept into her own tent. She waited until all noise had died down before putting on her day clothes and creeping out of the tent. She looked up at the sun, taking note of its position in the sky. She had one precious hour to act. She moved along the row of tents, silent as a shadow. Her ears twitched as they picked up on the noises of their inhabitants. Upon those tents where her ears detected no activity she stealthily unzipped the opening, leaving a gap for the sun to shine through. Once she had completed her task she made her way back to her own tent and slipped inside. As the sun moved through the sky the sunlight began to slant in through the openings in the tent. Late in the afternoon a shriek of pain echoed through the camp, followed by another and another as the shriek's owners met a painful demise. At once the camp was a hive of activity with guards running to and fro, trying to spot the culprit. They moved through the camp, telling any who ventured outside to return to their tents.

At nightfall they were all called out by the head vampire.

"There is a traitor amongst us," cried the head vampire, "Someone who is not of the Clan of Sun Reachers." His eyes seemed to linger on Marceline a moment longer than the rest. She stared back unblinkingly, her face a mask hiding the unease she felt.

"If anyone has any information on the traitor's whereabouts, report to me," he continued, "Soldiers prepare to move out. That is all."

* * *

Captain Sucrose sat atop the Morrow at the top of the embankment above the Eastern Track. The Morrow squawked uneasily and Captain Sucrose leant forwards, quieting the giant falcon with a few soothing words. "Easy now," he said gently, "Easy." The other soldiers shifted uneasily around them, their armour clinking gently with each movement.

"We won't have much longer to wait," he assured them. He took out his binoculars and scanned the landscape below them. "There, look," he said, pointing to the track. There, advancing along it, was a large wagon pulled by four wraith horses. Through the binoculars he could just make out the eight vampires guarding the wagon and the red eyes of the wraith horses as they snorted, tossing their heads. Their skin was dark and appeared to be scaly while their manes were made of shadows. "Steady men," said Captain Sucrose, "And women," he added, inclining his head to Susan Strong who stood among the ranks, armed with metal spiked gloves. She nodded back in acknowledgement. "Wait for my signal," he continued.

The wagon continued onward, blissfully unaware of the raiding party hidden high up on the embankment. They thought their victory was a certain and they waited impatiently for the day where they would walk in the sunlight. For them, that day never came.

"CHARGE!" yelled Captain Sucrose. With a unifying cry the soldiers yelled for victory as they surged down out of their hiding place to accost the unsuspecting vampires.

* * *

Marceline woke once more to a commotion in the base camp. She hurried out to see what was going on.

"They knew," yelled a vampire with greasy black hair scragged back into a loose ponytail, "They KNEW!"

"Knew what?" asked another who was clearly behind on the latest news.

"The wagon," cried the first vampire, "The wagon with our supplies in it. Some lowlife spy has been telling them everything. Only one guard made it back. Word is they were set upon by a raiding party of Candy People. Four of the guards were killed outright before they could react while the other three died fighting. The wagon was set alight. We're lost."

"That's not true," bellowed an easily recognisable voice. It was the head vampire, "Our forces still greatly outnumber those of the candy people. We will have to fight harder but our victory will be all the more sweet for it. Especially when I suck the life out of that pink pain they call a Princess." Marceline gasped in shock. Everything seemed to turn cold at these words and ice raced up and down her spine. "We can still win," yelled the head vampire, "And then we shall have ourselves a proper feast." A roar of approval went up from the vampires around him. "I shall call a meeting tonight at moonrise to decide our next move." Marceline hurried back into the tent, zipping it up behind her before fishing around in her bag. She took out the headset and jammed it into her ear, pressing the button. The familiar crackling filled her ear before giving way to the voice of her beloved.

"Princess," cried Marceline, "They know! They know there's a spy among them!"

"Then for glob's sake, get out of there," cried Princess Bubblegum.

"I can't, there's still too many of them," replied Marceline, "I still need to take down more of them. And besides, the head vampire will be outlining their next move. This could be valuable information. Stand by for more info. I'll try to call when I can."

"Marceline, no, it's not worth getting yourself killed for," protested Princess Bubblegum, sounding close to tears.

"It's either me or you," sobbed Marceline.

"Pardon?" asked Princess Bubblegum.

"He said he's going to suck the life out of you," cried Marceline, "He said they will have a proper feast. Princess, I don't want that to happen."

"It won't," Princess Bubblegum replied sternly, "I won't let that happen. But Marceline, get out of their as soon as you can."

"Yes, Bonnie," said Marceline as calmly as she could, "I will. I promise.

"I love you, babe," said Princess Bubblegum gently. Marceline smiled.

"I love you too," she murmured, "So much. I'll see you soon. I promise."

"See you soon, Mar-Mar," replied Princess Bubblegum. Her voice faded out and was replaced by the static. Marceline removed the headset and stowed it back in the bag.

* * *

As the moon rose over the valley Marceline made her way down to the centre of the base camp. The head vampire was already there.

"Comrades, tonight we will make our final attack," he began, "As one we will move out and crush the last of their forces. I will lead the final attack. Everyone of you is to take part, armed or not." He glared meaningfully at Marceline who shuddered under his unblinking gaze.

"Yes sir," she said.

"We move out now," said the head vampire, "Pack your things and be ready to leave within the hour." A chorus of 'Yes General,' s went up from the congregation as the vampires moved back out through the camp to prepare for the imminent departure. Marceline felt fear gnaw at her gut but she managed to ignore it as she made her way back to her tent.


	19. Captured

The night was eerily calm as Marceline made her way across the plains amongst the ranks of the vampire army. The head vampire floated a few strides ahead of them, a sword belted at his hip. She felt trapped among these invaders. Their breath smelt of blood and there was a menacing glint in their red eyes. They moved in silence, something Marceline wasn't accustomed to. When she accompanied Finn and Jake on an adventure they were never quiet. They were always laughing, joking or talking about some new weapon or foe they'd heard of. And the princess, although stoic and silent at times, it was a warm silence, one Marceline felt comfortable in. Math, she would even rather listen to LSP's constant griping than spend another moment here. Something screeched over head and Marceline couldn't help but wonder if it was the Morrow. And where was Lady Rainicorn? So many questions left unanswered.

Outside the Candy Kingdom Finn, Jake, Flame Princess and the remainder of the Candy Kingdom Army stood in the trenches. The soldiers were leaning on their weapons with looks of disheartened sadness across their mud spattered features. Even the successful capture of the wagon had done little to raise their spirits. Princess Bubblegum stood in the infirmary, caring for the sick and the wounded. Why hadn't Marceline called her? Had something happened to her? The thought made her bite her lip until she tasted sugar on her tongue.

"We will win, won't we?" asked a wounded cherry tart who was lying on a stretcher.

"Of course we will," replied Princess Bubblegum with feigned cheerfulness but she found herself the least convinced of any.

Back down in the trenches Finn checked his crossbow for what must have been the hundredth time.

"Any sign of them?" asked Jake. Flame Princess shook her head.

"Not yet," she replied.

"I hope Marcy's alright," said Finn.

"I'm sure she's fine," Flame Princess reassured him, "You said so yourself, she's tough." Finn nodded.

"Look," cried Jake, pointing to the horizon. They followed his gaze and gasped in surprise at what they saw. A battalion of vampires, larger than any they'd fought before, was floating steadily towards them. "This is it," Finn said calmly, "The final battle."

"What makes you so sure?" asked Flame Princess.

"I've just got a feeling," replied Finn, placing a wooden stake in his crossbow, "Okay, we move out now."

"Yes General," chorused the Candy People. As a solid force they left the trenches and made their way out to meet their foes on the battlefield.

Marceline spotted them advancing towards them. No, this couldn't be happening. There weren't nearly enough to take them down. This was suicide. She had to do something and fast.

"Glob, Bonnie, I know you're gonna hate me for this," she muttered to herself. Her eyes glowed with a bright incandescent light as light grey fur started to sprout all over her body. Her jaws morphed into a fearsome looking maw with bear trap teeth and her body began to grow and change in posture as she morphed into her giant monster form. She leapt at the vampire's around her, slashing all round her with powerful strokes from her claws. They fell in groups as she began cutting a swathe through them.

Finn and the rest of the Candy Kingdom Army stopped midway across the plains as they spotted the commotion break out in the vampires' ranks.

"That's," began Jake.

"MARCELINE!" they cried in unison.

Marceline bit down savagely, ripping a vampire's head from his shoulders. She turned, growling as she set her sights on the head vampire. She no longer feared him. All had been replaced with blinding rage. He sneered.

"It's been a long time, Marceline," he said with a menacing grin, "Far too long."

"Who are you?" asked Marceline, "And how do you know my name?"

"You don't recognise me, Mar-Mar?" he jeered, "Well, allow me to refresh your memory." He waved his hands and a bright red rose appeared, surrounded by blue energy. Marceline gasped.

"Ash?" she cried in disbelief.

"That's right," said Ash, "It's me, Mar-Mar. I'm surprised you didn't recognise me earlier. But then I have changed a lot since you last saw me."

"But why?" stuttered Marceline, "Why become a vampire? You're already immortal."

"I did it," sneered Ash, "For revenge. The process was painful I assure you. But it was all worth it. I had to get payback after you and your little friends saw fit to get rid of me. But I'm a reasonable vampire. I'll give you one last chance to join the winning side. Leave your pink princess and join the one who you were destined to be with."

"NEVER!" yelled Marceline, "I'd never get back with the likes of you. Not EVER!" Her eyes burned brighter than ever and she roared, a terrible roar filled with hatred and anger. She ran at Ash, determined to tear him limb from limb. At the last instant he disappeared, reappearing above her and firing a blast of energy at her. She recoiled from the spell and shook her head a few times before lunging again. He leapt back, morphing into a giant swamp monster.

"You never were any match for me," he hissed before swiping at her and catching her across the chest. Marceline roared in pain before dashing forward, ripping a gash along Ash's left arm. He stumbled back, firing another energy blast at her. She dodged, feeling the white hot energy zip past her head. The smell of singed hair reached her as she readied her next attack. She made to sink her teeth into his shoulder but he turned sharply, firing a blast of energy right into her face. She roared in pain, staggering back.

"That's IT!" she yelled, morphing into her giant bat monster form. She flew at him, raking her claws along his torso, opening a gash from shoulder to hip. The remaining vampires watched in amazement at the battle taking place before them.

* * *

Back at the kingdom Princess Bubblegum heard the mingled roars of rage and pain. She ran to the window and stared out. Near the horizon she saw the two monsters fighting. She recognised one of them as...

"MARCELINE! NOOOOOO!" she yelled.

* * *

Marceline looked up in surprise when she heard the Princess' cry. She saw Ash swinging at her out of the corner of her eye and she leapt. But she was a second too late. The blow caught her on the arm and sent her spinning. She recoiled and made another attempt to bite him. He vanished, reappearing behind her as he readied a blast of bright blue energy. She turned to face him, growling savagely.

"Take this as a little present from me to you," he yelled savagely, unleashing the attack. The energy filled Marceline's eyes with light. Slowly the sky began to recede as she tumbled back through the darkness. She fell endlessly through seas of black, falling deeper into the abyss. She heard one last scream before she fell into the depths of unconsciousness.

"Uggh..." she mumbled. Firelight probed at her eyelids, glowing red, flickering and dancing. Slowly she opened her eyes. Her head ached as though someone had hit her with a sledgehammer. She tried to move her hand to rub at her aching head but found that she could not. She tried again before looking down to find her hands tied behind her back. Her ankles were bound in the same manner and she found that she was in a kneeling position. Someone was standing in front of her. She knew what this was. It was an execution. She raised her gaze to face her executioner.

"You," she growled at the ex wizard.

"I see you're finally awake," sneered Ash, "Just right too. That you should be awake when you die. I'm going to enjoy this Marceline. And if I kill you, then that makes me the Vampire King. Oh, this just keeps getting better and better. And soon I shall be the king of all Ooo."

"You're wrong," said Marceline.

"What did you say?" snapped Ash.

"You're wrong," Marceline repeated, "My Bonnie won't let you. She's a lot smarter than you'll ever be. She's probably long since destroyed that potion."

"Your girlfriend is as good as dead," scoffed Ash, "What good is she to you anyway? In another 70 years or less she'll be dust and with you no longer."

"We'll cherish what time we have together," Marceline replied, "Every moment. And besides, love never dies. I'll always love her no matter what happens to us."

"Too bad you'll never get to cherish anymore moments with her," sneered Ash, raising the crossbow, "This is the end for you Marceline. Say goodbye."

Suddenly a horn sounded from the far side of the hill. Marceline felt the vibrations move up through her knees, up into her chest. The next moment an army spilled over the top of the hill. In front of them was Lady Rainicorn leading an army of Rainicorns and dogs. Ice King flew alongside her flanked by an army of penguins. They descended upon the vampires, swords, rifles and whatever weapons they possessed raised and at the ready. Some ran towards the spot where Ash stood before Marceline. He snarled viciously, returning his attention to Marceline.

"Goodbye Mar-Mar," he growled before pulling the trigger.

* * *

Princess Bubblegum ran full pelt across the plains. Here and there plumes of smoke billowed up from fires left by Flame Princess and from the withered remains of dead vampires. For years after the smell of smoke would bring that day flooding back to her as clear as crystal. It would set her heart racing and the sugar pounding in her ears.

She climbed over the wreckage of a catapult and stopped dead. She had reached the spot where she had seen Marceline fighting with the vampire but Marceline was nowhere to be seen. She picked her way through the wreckage, afraid of what she might find. The battlefield was full of horrors but nothing could have prepared her for what she saw as she walked around the hulking remains of a vampire turned monster. Marceline was lying on her back. A wooden stake protruded from her chest.

"MARCELINE!" sobbed Princess Bubblegum, scrambling across the wreckage to the fallen vampire. She dropped to her knees beside her, the tears coming thick and fast.

"MARCELINE!" she wailed, "MARCELINE! No, No, no, NOOO!" She threw her arms around Marceline, crying against her neck. "This...can't...it can't end like this," she cried, "We were...s-supposed to live h-happily ever after!"

"You always were such a drama queen," chuckled a voice in her ear. Princess Bubblegum looked into Marceline's face. The Vampire Queen was smiling weakly, her red eyes open slightly and gazing lovingly at the Princess.

"M-Marceline," stammered Princess Bubblegum. Marceline chuckled again before wincing.  
"You know, Bon, you never could tell your left from your right," she teased. She pointed to the stake buried in the right side of her chest.

"Even so, we'd better get you back to the palace," replied Princess Bubblegum. Despite the vampire's bravado she was still very weak.

"What happened to him?" croaked Marceline, "What happened to Ash?"

"He's dead," replied Princess Bubblegum, "I saw Ice King give chase. He couldn't escape."

"Thank glob," smiled Marceline. She breathed a sigh of relief and lay back, closing her eyes.

"Marceline?" said Princess Bubblegum, shaking her by the shoulders, "Marceline! Don't do this to me! I can't tell if you're alive or not! MARCELINE!" She turned her face to the sky.

"HELP!" she yelled, "SOMEBODY HELP! ANYONE! PLEASE!

"공주!" called a voice somewhere off in the distance. She turned to see Lady Rainicorn speeding towards them. "Lady," she called back. She reached them and hugged the Princess tightly.

"Lady, am I glad to see you," cried Princess Bubblegum, "Please, you've got to help us. Marceline's been hurt really bad. I don't even know if..." she paused, "We need to get her to the infirmary." Lady nodded. She helped the Princess lift the unconscious vampire onto her back. Princess Bubblegum climbed on after, holding the injured Vampire Queen as they flew back to the palace. There they were met by Dr. Ice Cream and Dr. Dextrose. After explaining what happened the two doctors lifted Marceline down off Lady's back and carried her inside. Princess Bubblegum made to follow but they stopped her.

"No Princess, you'd better wait outside," said Dr. Ice Cream gently, "I understand you want to help her but unfortunately you don't have the necessary skills. Don't worry, we'll do everything we can."

But what if everything wasn't enough? How would she live without Marceline? Could she? All these thoughts and more swirled about her head as she sat on the bench outside the infirmary. Lady took the Princess' hand, "어떤 일이 발생하든, 모두 괜찮을 것입니다," she said, "약속." Princess Bubblegum looked at Lady, her lower lip quivering. Lady looked at her sadly. She hoped everything _would_ be alright. She hugged the Princess tightly, still assuring her things would be alright.


	20. Epilogue

A month had passed since the battle, a month since the Candy Kingdom had fought against the vampires and won against all odds. Lady Rainicorn was awarded a medal for Initiative and Resourcefulness while Finn, Jake and Flame Princess among several others were awarded medals for bravery and gallantry. The wounds of war were slowly healing and everywhere things were gradually getting back to normal.

"C'mon you guys," cried Finn as he ran out through the kingdom gates, "Last one to the river's a rotten egg."

"Hey, no fair," yelled Jake, "You got a headstart." They laughed as they ran across the open grassland.

"Hey, wait for us," called a voice, "You two can run a lot faster than us right now. You just wait til I get my strength back."

"Easy Mar-Mar," said Princess Bubblegum gently, "We'll have plenty of time for that once you're better." Marceline stuck her tongue out at the Princess.

"You just wait as well," she grinned roguishly, kissing Princess Bubblegum affectionately.

"You know I will," she murmured. They continued walking towards the river, Marceline leaning on the Princess for support. She was wearing her sun hat and gloves. Her chest was bandaged but her wounds were slowly healing. Words couldn't describe the relief Princess Bubblegum had felt when Marceline left the infirmary. She had bounded up to her and it was only by the words of the two doctors that she didn't give Marceline a hug that would probably have finished her off. That night there had been much celebration, much sorrow too for those who had lost husbands and sons in the war. Thankfully Edith Carambar was not one of those. Princess Bubblegum and Marceline had been overjoyed to see her reunited with her husband René, just as they had been reunited.

After careful consideration they had destroyed the photon resistance serum. Both decided they wanted nothing to do with something that had caused so much heartache but, as Marceline pointed out, it was also what brought them together. But the dangers of it falling into the wrong hands were far too great so it, along with the Princess' notes, were destroyed.

Two months after the war Marceline and Princess Bubblegum announced to the Kingdom their betrothal. Celebrations erupted anew kingdom wide and the two monarchs, soon to be co-rulers, stood at the balcony of their room and watched the parties, celebrations and firework displays that went on late into the night.


End file.
